Dear Happy
by Emperor Seijuro
Summary: Imogen Daichi is a spitfire. She's a bundle of determination, affection, and sarcasm. After returning home from studying abroad, she reunites with the center of her true passion and affection; the Generation of Miracles and Seirin's basketball team! Not to mention- she gets to meet the new first years and what an interesting batch they are. Trouble, comedy and romance ensues!
1. Chapter 1

_'How? How could this have happened to me? What in hell did I do to deserve this?'_ She thought to herself, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she walked in the direction of the gymnasium of her high school. Seirin, to be more specific. Rain poured down on her head and she scowled.

She had just returned from an overseas abroad basketball team to study some things. She was an aggressive basketball player, but since Seirin didn't have a girls team, and she wasn't always allowed on the boys team- much to her disappointment- she didn't get to play very much other than in practices. Instead she took the managers position, though she was more like a coach with Riko, and a player.

'She' was Daichi Imogen, a second year at Seirin high school. Her reddish-brown hair fell a couple inches past her shoulder and her bright green eyes could send a chill down any persons' spine...but that could also be that she was fairly intimidating. She wasn't too tall either; falling at a height of 5'5. She couldn't complain because that was part of the reason she was such a great basketball player, but like every player, she had her own weaknesses.

* * *

Imogen adjusted her hood over her head, though she had an umbrella open above her. The rain just wouldn't let up and she had to walk all the way from the train station.

"Oi, how ridiculous..." She grumbled, kicking the doors to the gymnasium open and walking in. She watched as the group of boys, and girl, jumped in their spots, completely startled.

"RIKO!" She growled, stalking towards the coach.

The second years began to grumble and step away, leaving those who were obviously the first years to take the brunt of her irritation. She roughly nudged past a tall red-head, ignoring him as she stalked up to Riko.

She paused, looking over at the familiar face.

"Oh, Kuroko-san? You joined the Seirin basketball team?" She asked, turning to the blue-haired male. He blinked in confusion before slowly nodding.

"EH?! SHE KNOWS KUROKO TOO?" The group of boys behind her shouted. Imogen turned around and pushed her hood back.

"Neh, of course, we played basketball together in middle school." They all blinked before shouting again.

"EH?! Wait, does that mean you're like Momoi-san from Aomine's school?" Koganei asked with wide eyes. Imogen shook her head, raising a brow.

"Hell no, I played with them. That analyzing and storing information thing isn't for me, thank you, Koga-san," she muttered, glaring at him. He hid behind Mitobe, apologizing rapidly.

"I didn't know you played with them! Kuroko-san, is that true?" Riko asked, stunned. Kuroko nodded his head.

"She was usually a fill in if someone got injured..." He mumbled.

"Girls aren't supposed to play on boys teams!" A red-head that she didn't recognize butted in. Kuroko seemed to shiver at the memory.

"I-Intimidating." Imogen snickered at his response, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"You guys never asked where I came from, but I guess you did ask how I got so good, however where's the fun in that if I tell you?" She asked slyly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Midorima and Aomine taught her a lot of what she knows," Kuroko interjected.

"OI! YOU!" Imogen glared at him and he shrunk back.

"What?! No way, does that mean she's as good as them?" Red-head asked in bewilderment.

Imogen suddenly smirked, slipping her hoodie off and her sweatpants, leaving her in her practice shorts and tank-top. "Why don't you come and find out?"

Red-head seemed to grin as well. "Imo-chan, no. Aren't you tired anyways?" Riko cut in, blowing her whistle abruptly.

"Aw, come on, Riko-chan, let me put the little bugger in his place," Imogen whined, pouting childishly.

"Tch. What a child." Oh, red-head. He was in for a cruel awakening.

Imogen turned around with a sickeningly sweet smile. The second years, and Kuroko, stepped back.

"Oh boy, now he's done it. Riko-chan, I'd restrain her now," Koga said, Izuki nodding in agreement. Riko shook her head. "Too late now."

Imogen smiled and picked a ball up from the floor, dribbling it a few times. "Alright, so we'll play a one-on-one, first to three. I win, you're going to apologize to me and run extra laps. If you win, well, that won't happen," she teased, walking onto the court.

"Keh, as if I'd let a weakling like you win," red-head retorted. "Oi, Kagami-san, you might want to rethink what you're saying!" Koga called to him. Mitobe nodded, scratching the back of his head.

Imogen stood in the center of the court, waiting for red-head, who was apparently Kagami, to stop in front of her.

"Ah, it's a shame that pretty boy's like you talk too much. I bet I get your blood boiling," she teased. Riko sighed and counted down before blowing the whistle.

Before Kagami even had time to blink, Imogen was gone, already running towards the hoop. He rushed to catch up, just barely making it. She made a motion to jump, watching with wide eyes as Kagami jumped up higher than she'd ever seen. She smirked, remaining on the ground and pivoting around his body, jumping up and watching it sink through the hoop before landing back on the ground.

"I'll admit, you've got a great jump, but geez, could you at least try. Aomine would be so disappointed if I didn't show you what I can really do," she said, sighing. She picked up the ball, tossing it to Kagami.

"I'll give you a head start, sweetheart."

Kagami growled before beginning to run towards the other basket. Imogen grinned and chased after him, quickly pulling ahead and stopping in front of him. He grunted and looked to his left and right, trying to decide, but before he could, the ball was out of his hands and already halfway down the court.

"Go, go, go, Imo-chan!" The second years chanted. "Wha-!?" He turned and ran after her, barely able to make it before she made another basket.

"Ne, Riko, what kind of first years did you recruit? He's not a regular, is he?" Imogen asked, a sly grin on her face as she caught the ball again, dribbling it lightly.

"She's not even playing to her best ability," Kuroko muttered, the second years nodding in agreement. Imogen laughed quietly, looking back to Kagami.

"No, hard feelings, but I could have won this in a single three-pointer from half-court- maybe. Courtesy of Midorima-san!" She taunted. Kagami was glaring furiously at her, catching the ball when it was tossed back to him.

She stayed at the other end of the court, watching him score a nice dunk. She hummed, running after him and snatching the ball and dribbling it back to her side, however she ran from side to side in a zig-zagged pattern, making it hard for the red-head to keep up with her, and she was so fast!

Imogen dribbled it in between her legs when he got in front of her to block, running backwards until she was at the half court line, catching the red-head off guard. She gave the subtle flick of her wrist, the high arc letting the ball swiftly fall into the net.

"Ah, that's three! Pretty boy, come here real quick," she requested, resting the ball against her arm and hip. Kagami begrudgingly walked over towards her, glaring quite frustratedly.

 _How the hell could a short girl beat him?_

* * *

"Great, take your shirt off," she ordered nonchalantly, while Riko and the second years watched in confusion.

"What? You're like coach?" He asked, tugging off his shirt anyways. Imogen suddenly smirked, snatching his shirt out of his hands and stepping away.

"Nope, I just wanted to sneak a peek, thanks, pretty boy~!" She exclaimed, getting a good look at his torso before handing him his shirt back.

"Sorry, all the guys had to endure it in their first year too, but I'm going to admit, you've got some nice muscles," she said, sighing quietly. Kagami's eyebrow twitched and he tugged his shirt back on; embarrassed.

"Anyways, _RIKO_!" She shouted, stalking over to her again.

"Guess what happened when I was in America! The little bastard captain at the championship tournament tried hitting on me and then when I told him no, he sat me out for the last quarter of the game... I mean, we still won, but I was so mad!" Imogen ranted, shaking her head.

"Ah, sorry to hear, Imo-chan, but now you're back home so you can help us get better so we can win too. We got beat pretty badly by Aomine Daiki," Riko explained solemnly.

Imogen tilted her head and nodded. "That's to be expected- woah, woah, surely you guys had to go against one of the Three Kings and one from the Generation of Miracles, right?" She asked incredulously.

"We went against two of the Three Kings in one day, Midorima's team too," Hyuga explained to her.

"EH?! A-And you beat them?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, however Aomine got us in the end." Imogen shrugged her shoulders.

"Well yeah, I figured as much, he's hard to beat, but how'd you manage Shutoku? Midorima's three pointers are unstoppable," she pointed out. Riko smirked.

"Kagami-kun blocked a bunch of them and Kuroko's passes helped us score a lot too, plus their team work was great," she explained. Imogen's head cocked to the side, her eyes wide.

She turned around to face the red-head.

"What the hell kind of mutant do you have to be to be able to jump high enough to block Mido-kun's shots?" She asked, blinking a few times before grinning. "Rikooo, I think I'm in love," Imogen said, jokingly.

Kagami looked away, his face red. ' _What the hell is wrong with this girl?'_

* * *

 **Hello! Thanks for dropping by! I'll be updating every week or so, possibly every day depending on my mood and schedule. This is a KnB story, if you couldn't already tell. I started this a long, long time ago so the first few chapters may not be up to par like my writing now. I'm still figuring out how to use this site since I'm so used to using quotev or just never posting so I apologize for mistakes. I don't know who my OC will end up with, I leave it open by creating opportunities for literally every character so I suppose it's up to you readers, but that can wait since this is only the beginning. It follows the anime for the most part with some scenes thrown in and some of my own personal experiences. Anyways, enjoy! xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, Imogen, since you've missed a lot of practices and matches, time to catch up. Start running." Imogen scowled.

"Ah, but I'm the manager! And I don't have my sports bra!" She whined.

Riko blew her whistle and Imogen groaned.

"Come on, pretty boy, you still owe me an apology, and you can run with me!" She said before taking off towards the opposite side of the gym. Kagami grunted before running after her as well.

"Wait, Imo-chan. Knee brace?" Kuroko asked, causing her to pause.

"Eeh? Oh, it's in my bag, but my therapist said that if I felt fine; I didn't need it. We finished the sessions as well when I was in America, she assigned me a therapist there too," She explained before resuming her running, catching up to Kagami.

"So, in all seriousness, I heard you put up quite the fight against Aomine-kun, I'm surprised, that's pretty good. You could be right up there with the Generation of Miracles if you keep practicing."

Kagami seemed to grin, nodding his head. "Ah, thanks, but shouldn't you be part of it too if you went to school and played with them? You're as good as they are," he said, wiping his face with his shirt as he ran.

Imogen pouted. "Oh, I'm definitely good enough, but like Kuroko-chan said, I was a fill in so I didn't get much time to play as a regular. Plus, Aomine didn't like the idea of having a girl as part of the Generation of Miracles, but thanks," she said, smiling at him.

 _He wasn't too bad, and he was still good looking._

She came to a stop after finishing a few laps, stopping by Riko.

"I heard that Aomine and Murasakibara were benched during the final match though. And that Kise had copied Ao-san's moves? Is that true?" She asked, tilting her head,

"Hai, Momoi benched Aomine after the match with Kaijo because of potential risk of injuries," Riko explained.

"Ah, that's harsh, man, I miss them..." She whined, going over and draping over Kuroko.

"You're the only one I've seen in so long." He stared blankly, though there was a slight blush on his cheeks.

"EH!? He blushes when it's her draping over him?!" Koganei asked.

" _HEY_ , what's wrong with me? Kuroko, he's being mean to me!" Imogen murmured, pretending to cry into his shoulder. Kuroko curled an arm around her and scowled at Koganei.

"E-EH, w-why does he suddenly seem a lot s-scarier?"

Imogen turned in his arm and smiled. "Kuroko-kun is my little sweetheart, but Momoi-san thinks she can claim him as her own. It's really unfair because she always says that I can't claim Aomine-kun or

Mido-kun, or even Kuroko, but she knows he's mine~!" She exclaimed, reaching up and ruffling his hair.

Imogen eventually let go, allowing Kuroko to fix his messy hair.

"Well, I've got to go home, in desperate need of food if I'm honest. Haven't eaten since before my flight, I'm also really tired so that's an indication that I'm just going to sleep. It was great seeing you guys! I'll properly introduce myself tomorrow," she said, walking over to her things and slipping her hoodie and sweatpants back on.

"Bye, bye, Riko-san! Take care, Kagami-kun! Kuroko-kun, it was nice to see you again," Imogen said, smiling over at him before picking up her bag and heading towards the exit without another word.

* * *

Back in the gym, everyone was recovering from the bundle of energy that had just left.

"Typical of her," Hyuga muttered, though he did smile. Riko hummed, tapping her chin in thought.

"I think there was something I was supposed to tell her, but I can't remember..." She trailed off sheepishly before shrugging.

"Well, anyways, practice is over, go home and get some rest for tomorrow." Everyone changed in the locker rooms, packing up their things and leaving.

* * *

Imogen had walked up to her apartment door, taking out her key to unlock it, however she pulled the knob and the door slowly opened. Confused, Imogen pushed her door open and stepped in, shutting the

door behind her, setting her bags on the floor. Imogen sighed as she walked to her bedroom, dragging her bag along behind her. The surprise awaiting in her room was one she hadn't seen coming. The

instant she stepped into her room, she nearly screamed, whipping her bag at the person on her bed, successfully hitting them. A low groan emitted from them before they sat up, rubbing their head.

" _AOMINE, WHAT THE HELL?!_ " She shouted, nearly stumbling back.

"Oi, so noisy," he grumbled, looking over at her before a slight grin formed on his lips.

"Ah, you're finally said you'd be home today. I figured I'd come visit," he said, flopping back onto the bed after moving Imogen's bag to the floor.

"You liar, you just wanted to nap here and be cooked for, you ass," she muttered, setting her bag on her desk and sitting on the side of her bed.

"That's also true." Aomine nodded in agreement. Imogen rolled her eyes, laying down and facing him.

"I heard you were benched for the last matches. Honestly, that's quite disappointing, but I can see why Momoi-san did it. I'd rather you be sitting out and safe over injured and unable to play as well," she said, sighing softly.

Aomine scowled, turning away. "Tch. I would've been fine and we would have doubled our score if I had played."

Imogen raised a brow, crawling over to him. "Quit whining. You get to play every game, sitting out for once isn't going to kill you. Besides, consider it punishment for showing up to games late and never going

to practice." Imogen snickered, taking a pillow and smacking it against him. He grumbled something incoherent, waving her away.

"Keh, shut it," he muttered, facing the wall entirely now. Imogen sighed, shaking her head to herself. She sat up, sliding from the bed.

"Hm. Feel free to leave at any time, honestly. I had a long flight and a shitty trip, I'm not in the mood for your bullshit too," she hissed, pointing towards the door.

Aomine turned back to face her, an unidentifiable look on his face before a smirk settled.

"And here I thought you'd be happy to see me after so many years," he retorted, sitting up slightly.

Imogen shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I would have been if you would have just shut up and let me sleep," she countered, stalking back to the bed, flopping down onto the mattress with a soft sigh.

"Shut up and go to sleep, I'll cook you breakfast in the morning before I leave for practice, 'kay?"

* * *

~~~~~~~Time skip to Winter cup preliminaries weeks later~~~~~~~~

Everyone had practiced hard until the Winter Cup preliminaries had snuck up on them. Seirin winning their first match and advancing on to play Shutoko, with Midorima Shintaro from the Generation of Miracles.

Imogen had realized after that first match with Aoba Josei that Kagami had true potential. An unspoken realization forming to those who were part of the Generation of Miracles, Imogen included. Kagami was

prying his way through the door to the room only prodigies were able to enter. Without a doubt, he was stronger than before.

 _They all were, and they were ready to win._

* * *

 **Hello again! The reason for the major time skip is because I like to get right to the good parts-which is all of them- but at the time of writing this, I didn't have the patience to write everything up until this point so boom, Winter Cup, let's go! Things get interesting from here on out, I promise! Bye! xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

Imogen sat on the bench, one leg crossed over the other beside Kuroko and Kagami.

Kuroko suddenly spoke, catching Imogen's attention as well, "Kagami-kun. Did you see Midorima-kun's face when he came in?"

Imogen hummed and nodded her head, seeming to have also notice the change in the green-haired boy.

"Yeah, it seems like he's a whole different person now," Kagami said, Kiyoshi cutting in shortly after.

"The members of the Generation of Miracles we've played until now were undefeated and intelligent. They say some defeats are meaningful and losing makes you stronger. Do you understand what that means?" Kiyoshi asked him as he tied his shoes.

Imogen stood up, stretching out her arms before deciding to help Teppei explain.

"For living creatures, victory is life, and defeat means death. It's an extreme example, but humans retain that instinct. Those who know the terror of defeat, hunger for victory," she said, walking back and forth out of habit, "starving beasts are dangerous so do not underestimate them."

Imogen stopped in front of the five regulars as they stood up.

"They're not the only ones who've suffered a terrible loss," Hyuga said, the others obviously agreeing.

* * *

They all lined up, the referee initiating the game. Imogen sat back on the bench next to Aida, her foot tapping on the floor anxiously. Right out of the gate, Seirin was fighting hard on defense and offense,

Imogen's eyes keeping up with a new sense of alertness to them. Kagami was able to block Midorima's three-pointers, however something was different about him. "He's not acting like himself," she spoke up, glancing towards Aida.

The game continued, Imogen either pacing or tapping her foot as she watched. Takao was giving Kuroko a hard time and Kagami was cosntantly after Midorima, surely they'd break through though, right? Imogen was back up on her feet as Kagami had jumped to block Midorima's shot, however he faked it and passed him.

"No way, he's going to jump again?" Imogen mumbled, watching in awe as he'd just barely managed to nick the ball, throwing it off it's course. The ball missed the hoop and to Shutoku's surprise, Kuroko was already there to keep it in play.

"I swear, I'm going to be sick. Midorima-kun's using fakes as well, which is going to make things even harder for Kagami," she murmured, calculating the steps Midorima took. It looked like he was going to

take another shot, but Imogen watched his steps, quickly realizing it was another fake and Kagami was already too late. Something wasn't right though as Midorima jumped to shoot- Kiyoshi going for a block

as well. Takao was _open_!

Imogen shook her head, watching them score. She puffed her cheeks out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"This isn't good. They're working as a team now, which means that it'll be even harder to stop them," she said, glancing back at Aida.

"I agree with Kiyoshi. Bench Kuroko. If he uses anymore of his misdirection, it'll be useless for the rest of the match," she added, sparing an apologetic glance towards the male who seemed to be deflating by her statement and Kiyoshi's unecessary words.

Kuroko walked over to the bench, taking a seat. "Don't worry, you'll get your time to shine."

"Don't lose focus." Imogen smiled at Koganei's and Tsuchida's words, giving them a thumbs up.

"Don't worry, Tetsu-kun. It's better to reserve your strength now anyways," she chimed in, reassuringly. Her attention turned back to the game, Seirin's offense keeping up with Shutoku.

Finally, Midorima scored. Kuroko seemed to notice how she was practically seething with anxiety, resting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a reassuring smile.

* * *

At the top of the stadium, Kise and Momoi spared a glance down to Seirin's benches, noticing Imogen.

"Eh? She's with Seirin? I didn't even realize that was where she went," Kise whined, straightening up when Momoi sent him a glare.

"She's been training abroad. She played in a tournament with a boys team back in America, she's been back for quite a while actually. Aomine went to see her the day she got back," Satsuki explained.

Kise blinked. "A tournament in America? And on a boy's team? Were they even able to keep up with her?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. Nobody has seen her play at her true potential," Momoi mumbled, "but if she's on court, there's surely going to be a chaos."

Kise hummed.

"We never got to see her play much back in Teiko. All I know about her possible skills is that she was taught by Aomine and Midorima, which means she could be lethal on court, or she could be a complete fluke," he murmured, his gaze turning back to the players on the court, watching the intense battle.

Kagami had gone for another jump to block Midorima's shots, however it was another fake and this time, Kagami wasn't able to jump again.

"Kagami!" The red-head waved her off, determined to keep going.

"Oh, that boy, I swear," Imogen grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest.

* * *

Kuroko was put back in the game, which eased some of Imogen's worries about scoring. She knew of Kuroko's new trick, she had practiced it with him a few times. She watched as that trick was soon put into

play as Kuroko was matched up with Midorima, the ball in his hands. Imogen's eyes narrowed and a small smirk quirked at her lips. The Vanishing Drive.

In the time that Kuroko had been back on the court, they'd managed to score eight points, and the fourth quarter was about to commence. Imogen was as tense as ever, her leg bouncing and her breathing

shallow. The crowds' cheers were getting louder and louder as time went on, neither team willing to give up. A foul. The game would more than likely end here, the winner unknown at the moment. Everyone

was on edge at this point as Midorima had fouled Kiyoshi. "If he makes these, we can win. This is the deciding moment of the game," she said, running a hand through her hair.

To her relief, he made the first basket, tying the teams up again. If he made this second basket, they would win. She could feel the pressure, taking a moment to close her eyes at he shot. It missed. The

rebound was sure to go to Otsubo, but at the last second, Kagami jumped and took the rebound. The last two seconds was a battle between Midorima and Kagami. The game ended in a tie, 104 to 104.

Imogen smiled and stood up, heaving out a breath of relief. They'd take it.

* * *

 **Alright, so I'm going to point this out now, but I am going to skip around most of the minor games because I have some really fun stuff planned out for the bigger games, so if it seems like I'm skipping around, it's because I am. Don't hate me, okay? It's the way I felt like doing it because I don't want to bore you guys. Forgive me! xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

Imogen stretched her arms above her head and followed the team out.

"I'll be right back, go on ahead without me," She said, waving them off, "oh, and good job today, I'm glad I got to see you play hard."

Imogen smiled, turning and following after Shutoku's team. Aida sighed and led the team back to the locker rooms, while Imogen jogged to catch up with Midorima and Takao.

"Oi, Mido-kun!" She called out, reaching out and grabbing his wrist to stop him.

He turned to face her, his eyes widening a fraction before returning to that familiar stoic gaze.

"Oh. So it was you," he muttered, pulling his wrist away and stepping back.

"Shin-chan, are you coming? Ah, who's this cutie?" Takao asked, walking up beside the green-haired male.

Imogen raised an unamused eyebrow, sending him a small glare.

"Takao-kun," he spoke dully, the boy beside him sighing and turning back around, walking away.

"Anyways, thanks for the pleasant greeting. Glad you missed me," she commented, shaking her head at him.

Midorima pushed his glasses back up, gazing down at her.

"You chose Seirin after leaving Teiko? I'm surprised. I was sure you'd go where Aomine-kun had asked you to," he drawled.

"Actually, I had planned on attending Shutoku, mind you, and in the end, I decided that Seirin was the best for me. Kiyoshi Teppei and Hyuga played a huge role in it too. Besides, you all ended up pissed off at me when I told you I was leaving early, so I made sure to pick a school that none of you would have gone to. Childish of me? Sure. Justified? Absolutely. I do believe you and Murasakibara-kun are the only one's still upset with me so... I want to make amends. I mean, come on, we grew up together and you taught me plenty of what I know now, so I just wanted to make things right," she explained.

Midorima was genuinely surprised that she had even brought it up. He hadn't really noticed that he may have acted as if he was still mad at her, but he wasn't. He had let it go a long time ago, not really assuming he'd ever cross paths with her again.

* * *

 _What was meant to be a happy day for Imogen turned out to be rather sad in the very end. She had been just as excited as she was every single day to be going to school and seeing her friends again- more specifically the basketball team. They got along rather well, although it took quite some time for the boys to warm up to her. She didn't seem to mind though. Imogen had always been surprisingly patient as a child._

 _She walked into her classroom that day, politely greeting the teacher before taking her seat. She had pulled out everything she needed for the class before turning to the neighboring seat._

 _"Hello, Shin-chan! It's a nice morning, isn't it? That means it will be a good day," She spoke up, catching the male's attention. He merely nodded, looking towards the windows as if to confirm that it was truly a nice morning. Indeed it was._

 _The sun was shining and no clouds were in sight. It did seem like it would be a good day._

 _Yet it wasn't._

 _Imogen came to school the next day with a frown on her face, despite how bright the sun was shining and how clear the sky was. Her greeting to the teacher was quiet and she wasted no time getting to her seat, but she didn't greet Midorima as she usually would._

 _"Hello, Midorima-san. I hope you're doing well today?" She asked, sitting with poise and an underlying look of pain on her face, hidden behind a forced smiled._

 _That day, there was no mention of how clear the skies were or how bright the sun- how the outdoors smelled of spring, and that she couldn't wait to go to practice. None of those daily words were spoken, and if only Midorima had realized why, then._

 _Upon entering practice, the boys immediately noticed that someone was missing, and it wasn't Kuroko's lack of presence- no, someone was actually missing- and it didn't take long for the boys to figure it out._

 _The door to the gymnasium open, revealing Imogen with her mother and father. The sight, itself, set the boys on edge. It was rare that Imogen was ever seen with one of her parents, let alone both of them at the same time._

 _"I'm skipping a grade and transferring to a new school," Imogen spoke softly, her tone light and airy- that forced smile on her face._

 _And the boys knew exactly why. Aomine, Kise, and Murasakibara protested- although, the latter was rather lazy while doing so- while Kuroko, Akashi, Midorima and the rest of the team could only stand by and accept the fate thrown upon Imogen. She quickly said her goodbyes to them in a formal manner that she wished she wouldn't have had to do, and left, going with her parents to decide which school it was that she'd go to._

 _The boys spent the rest of their school year working hard and coming out on top victorious, but it never was the same without the usual ray of sunshine that joined them in their classes or their practice._

* * *

"Fine."

Imogen sighed before realizing what he said, a smile forming on her lips.

"Great! Thanks, Shin-chan! By the way, good job today. You gave us a run for our money, but trust me, next time, we'll win," she mused, giving him a thumbs up before turning and walking back in the direction of her teammates.

A hand grasped her wrist, suddenly stopping her.

"Ne, Mido-kun?"

"Kirisaki Dai Ichi advanced to the next round, you'll be up against them," he warned her before letting her go and turning back.

Imogen tensed before beginning to run to the locker rooms. She stopped, noticing Kiyoshi and Hyuga.

"Kiyo...shi... Are you..." She trailed off, her gaze falling to his legs.

Kiyoshi looked up and gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm okay. I can make it," he reassured her.

"Kiyoshi, don't overdo it. Have any of you seen Aida?" She asked, her bag slung over her shoulder. "She's probably walking out with the rest of the boys. Why?" Hyuga questioned curiously, his eyes narrowing down on the girl in front of them.

"We're facing Kirisaki Dai Ichi tomorrow." That was all she said before leaving the room to find everyone else.

* * *

"Riko! I have a request to make."

* * *

Perhaps people would call her crazy, but Imogen was never one to sit by and watch her friends be tormented. She refused to. Imogen had gone to the head officials of the game and cleared everything in order to help her team. She had gotten the okay to do what she had discussed with Riko, who was completely against allowing it.

Yet, they'd need all of the back up available going against Kirisaki Dai Ichi, the team who left several players on the opposing team injured. It was what happened to Kiyoshi, and Imogen would not allow it to happen to anyone else again.

During her time in America, she had been required to take a test and earn a pass to play on a boys team, signing a waiver that if she got hurt, it wouldn't be the other person's fault entirely, it basically set her equal to the boys. That pass was her ticket to the game, and luckily the officials passed it with a yes.

Riko had begged her not to do it as she was smaller than the other's and would have a harder time, but Imogen was stubborn.

Imogen broke out her uniform, using the girls bathrooms to change since the locker room was filled with boys. She slipped it on, grinning at the familiar feeling before slipping on her jacket and sweatpants. Imogen tied her hair up into a high ponytail to keep it out of the way, looking in the mirror and grinning.

She left the bathroom, heading to the locker room where she would meet up with Riko and the others. She pushed the door open and stepped in.

"Riko, everything's all set. The officials cleared it."

"Eh? Imo-chan...are you sure?" She asked, the boys attention snapping to the girl in their teams attire. Hyuga and Kiyoshi shared a look before shaking their heads.

"Yes, I'm sure. These bastards need to get their heads twisted on straight for the shit they pulled last year," she jeered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll be waiting out by the court when you guys are ready," she said before exiting the room to blow off some steam before the match.

Imogen carried her bag with her and walked down to the court, setting her things beneath the bench. As nervous as she was, she also knew that it was time to finally win against them. They had hurt so many people, their way of playing completely dirty and unfair.

* * *

 **Hello! Sorry for the long wait. I've had powderpuff practices all week so I haven't had a chance to update. This chapter gives a little insight to Imogen's past with Midorima, and why she left early, which will be explained more soon too. Also, again, I'm skipping certain matches that I didn't feel like writing at the time that I wrote these chapters a few months back. Sorry if that bothers you! xxx 3**


	5. Chapter 5

Imogen had been stretching when everyone came out to warm up. She could also faintly hear someone shouting.

"I'm getting pumped! I'll get all the rebounds!" Imogen turned and looked up, spotting Kise and his team.

"Oh? They're here?" She mumbled to herself.

"Oi, Imo-chan, warm up! You'll need it the most!" Riko shouted at her, swatting her on the back of the head.

Imogen whined and slipped off her sweatpants, leaving her in the uniform of her school. She would wear it with pride. She neatly folded the articles of clothing and tucked them into her bag, grabbing a ball and walking onto the court with the boys.

"Hey, Momoicchi, Aominecchi!" The familiar voice resonated in her ears and she turned her gaze back to Kise, who was looking over to the opposite side of the stadium.

Imogen followed his gaze and quickly spotted Touou Academy's team as well. The girl sighed and began to warm up, making sure she stretched her right leg out enough. The boys watched her, suddenly realizing why she was out on the court warming up with them.

"Eh! You can't be serious! A girl playing on the boys basketball team!?" Someone from the crowd shouted, even more confused shouts arising.

Kise hummed in confusion, looking closer at those on the court. "Hm, a girl? Eh?! Imo-chan!" He gaped, his jaw suddenly clenching.

"Eh, Kise-kun, do you know her?" Kasamatsu asked, his eyes following the girl's movements as well.

"Yeah. She was part of the team back at Teiko. She was only a fill in, but she practiced with the rest of us and if anything, she's just as good as us," Kise explained. Kasamatsu blinked, his eyes widening.

* * *

Imogen watched Hyuga try to make another one of his shots, but again, he continued to miss.

"Hyuga-san, you need to calm down," she called to him, tossing him her ball and going to retrieve the one that had rolled away.

To her luck, or lack of, Hanamiya Makoto picked up the ball, that irritating look on his face.

"Is this yours?" He asked before actually looking at her. "Huh? Daichi-san? You're playing today? Is that even fair? You'll lose the instant you step onto the court. I was hoping we could have a decent game," Hanamiya drawled out, obviously trying to tick her off.

Imogen smirked, taking the ball. "No game is decent if you're involved, you conniving, little shit," she sneered, stepping forward.

"I will not hesitate to kick your sneaky, little ass," she snapped, catching a ball that went flying her way.

She took another step forward and roughly shoved it into the male's stomach, a grunt emitting from him. A whistle blew and Imogen backed off, smirking at him.

"You see, in America, we have teams that play like that too, however they always lose." The girl turned back completely, walking over to the bench with the others after putting the ball back into the cart. Hanamiya smirked, a slight change of plans becoming a fun opportunity to mess with her. He turned to his team and began to explain.

* * *

Imogen sat on the bench next to Kiyoshi, the two of them taping their legs. The first years offered to help, but Imogen politely declined and allowed them to try and help Kiyoshi. Riko had to help in the end because they went overboard. Someone sat next to her, or two to be exact.

"Daichi-senpai, I don't think this is a good idea," Kagami said, Kuroko nodding in agreement beside him. Imogen scrunched her nose up and shook her head.

"I've told you to stop calling me that. Imo, or Imogen are perfectly fine, and I can't let them hurt anybody again," she mumbled, her gaze flickering over to the opposing team.

"Both of you need to be careful around them. The best players on the team usually always end up injured because of them." With that, Imogen stood up and unzipped her jacket, slipping it off.

* * *

"Line up!" The referee called, both teams five players lining up at half court. "Thank you for the game!" They all shouted, bowing slightly before getting into formation.

"Kiyoshi. Be careful," she mumbled over to him.

He nodded, giving her a determined smile. "You too, Imo-chan. Don't hold back."

Imogen, of course, nodded and grinned, waiting for the whistle to blow and the ball to be tossed. She was the one going for the jump ball after all.

She managed to get it and pass it to Hyuga, and right away it went to Kuroko. Vanishing drive. Imogen began to run ahead, prepared to stop the other team from stealing it. The Vanishing Drive got Kuroko past and he was able to pass it to Kiyoshi, who scored the first point. Imogen hummed and walked back, an almost eerily calm aura around her. She refused to lose.

"Damn it..." She could faintly hear someone mutter.

"Kiyoshi the Iron Heart and the rookie duo, Kagami and Kuroko. Hyuga the clutch shooter and Daichi Imogen, the unknown. They're individually strong across the board." Hanamiya seemed to find this amusing.

"So what? I always tell you the same thing. I don't care if they're geniuses or prodigies. Break them and they're all just trash," Hanamiya speculated.

Imogen heard this and growled under her breath.

"Trash? Hanamiya, are you sure you want to be talking about _your team_ like that?" She jeered snidely, cracking her knuckles. This pissed Kirisaki Dai Ichi off, their fists clenching. Imogen turned back and returned to formation, the boys all sending her concerned and surprised looks.

Not many people knew just how vicious she could be- Kuroko was one of the few that did, though.

"Calm down, Imo-chan," he breathed out quietly.

The girl didn't seem to hear him, or if she did, she gave no indication of it. The ball was then put back in play and the game resumed. Hanamiya had the ball, passing it to their Number 7. Hyuga had moved to go after him, but Number 10 stopped him with what should have been a foul. Imogen gritted her teeth and moved to run forward, but Hanamiya was quick to stop her, his elbow connecting with her side. She clenched her fists, watching as Kagami tried to move, Kirisaki's 10 stepping on his foot and retreiving the rebound, almost elbowing him in the face.

"Kagami!" She shouted. She sighed quietly when he dodged it, but her nerves were still on high.

Kazuya scored and jogged off, blowing a bubble from his gum.

"Oh, I hope you choke on that," she growled under her breath, walking up to Kagami.

"Don't get worked up, alright? Like I said, watch them, they play dirty," she muttered, patting his back.

The game continued, Hyuga going to jump up to get the rebound. Once again they had stepped on their feet, but this time, Kojiro was aiming at his elbow down at Hyuga.

"Hyuga-san!" She called out, moving past Hiroshi who was her mark for the moment.

Kiyoshi beat her to it and raised his arm, stopping the male's elbow from making contact with Hyuga's face.

Imogen had no time to listen as she backed away and ran after Hanamiya the moment he got the ball. She had managed to keep up until Kazuya and Hiroshi caught up. Imogen didn't realize what they were doing until Hanamiya forced past her, purposely dragging his leg into her's so she would fall back. She landed on her back with a thud, her jaw gritting as she watched him score.

"Imogen!" The girl moved to her feet, rubbing her lower back before fixing her ponytail.

Imogen closed her eyes and stood still for a moment, listening to the sounds around her before continuing the game. It was one dirty trick after the other and Imogen was getting mad.

* * *

Kise was watching with narrowed eyes.

"They might as well be digging themselves a grave. She's terrifying when she's mad, but at the same time she can be reckless," he muttered, watching as she chased after the ball, quickly being blocked by Hanamiya once again.

* * *

"Ah, looks like you haven't done much at all, I don't even see why you're on the court. That Eagle eye would be better out here, you're just wasting space," he taunted.

Imogen's eye twitched, fighting the urge to punch him.

"You're a nasty person, Hanamiya. This isn't basketball that you play," she snapped, her eyes just barely catching the moment that Kazuya elbowed Kagami in the stomach.

Imogen's eyes widened when she realized that he was going to throw a punch. As much as she wished he would, she knew that it would ruin everything. She ran over to him, going to stop him until he fell flat on his face.

She heaved a relieved sigh, thanking Kuroko. "Kagami! Don't be an idiot!"

In an instant Kagami was up on his feet again.

"That hurt, Kuroko!" He grumbled out, disgruntled.

"What were you trying to do? Are you trying to ruin everything with your anger?" Kuroko asked, his eyes narrowed just the slightest, "I'm angry, too, but hitting them isn't what we should be doing for the upperclassmen. We should be beating them at basketball."

Kagami's fists clenched. "You're right. Sorry."

Imogen rested her hands on her hips, glad that a time out was called shortly after.

* * *

She was nearly livid, her eyes glaring daggers at Kiyoshi for his suggstion.

"You taking the inside yourself? They'll target you! There's no way in hell-" Kiyoshi cut her off.

"Daichi! It's better than seeing my friends hurt," he countered.

She clenched her jaw, raising a hand and smacking him. "Don't be so stupid. I'll help you on the inside," she said, glancing over to the other three.

"Stay on the outside like he said, we'll take care of things on the inside," she ordered sternly, resting a hand on Kiyoshi's head.

They got in formation, but Imogen was forced to the outside for the first few seconds, her mark being Hanamiya once again. She didn't have to worry too much, though Kiyoshi took a few hits before making a basket after catching Hyuga's rebound.

"Nice!" She shouted to him, nodding her head.

The plays continued and they constantly continued to beat Kiyoshi up the more he tried to score. Imogen was nearing her limit of tolerance. She was taking some hits from the inside as well, but they were double teaming him, she only had one marking her and he was more focused on Kiyoshi as well.

"Give me the ball!" Hyuga shouted, noting how bruised and beaten up Kiyoshi and Imogen were. Imogen nodded and as soon as she got the ball, she passed it- Kuroko retrieving it and passing it to Hyuga.

Hyuga had missed the basket once again, and things weren't looking too good for them. Kagami went in for a try, but he was fouled.

"Tch. They notice his accidental foul, but they're too fucking blind to notice Kirisaki's? Cheap," she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kiyoshi rested a hand on Kagami's head.

"Pay more attention to your surroundings. Imogen was open," he told him, looking away.

"We should play our own way." Imogen and the others nodded, preparing themselves for the next play.

Things were rough as they played, and Imogen was by Hanamiya again. She could hear him muttering under his breath, her eyes widening.

"If you want to die so badly, _die_."

With that, he snapped his fingers, just as he had last year.


	6. Chapter 6

_With that, he snapped his fingers, just as he had done last year._

* * *

Kirisaki's No. 7 suddenly kicked Kiyoshi's leg out from underneath him and he began falling back. Imogen shouted and ran towards him, though she was too far away to stop the collision of 7's elbow and Kiyoshi's face. Imogen froze in her place.

" _KIYOSHI!_ " She yelled, sprinting over to him.

She seethed, a dark aura dispersing around her. She suddenly turned, her head tilted down and a shadow casted over her eyes. Her fists clenched and she stalked towards Hanamiya and Hyuga.

"You can't be serious! You..." Hyuga shouted. Hanamiya shrugged.

"What? You're falsely accusing me again? I don't know what happened. Things got messy under the net. It was an accident," he lied nonchalantly.

* * *

 _"I don't know what happened. Honestly, it must have been just an accident." The lady's lips quirked up into a sickeningly sweet smiles and the young girl was forced to bite her tongue._

 _"But momma, you told me-"_

 _"I told you nothing! You dare to falsely accuse me, you ungrateful brat?"_

 _Imogen shook her head, a hand cupping her swollen cheek. "No, momma, I am not."_

 _The response was almost robotic, as if she had so much more to say than just a simple, 'no'. She bowed her head and turned away once she was dismissed, pausing in her steps. Slowly, she turned back around._

 _"Mother. May I call my friend? I have a project due soon and we have to work on it together," she lied smoothly, the words rolling off her tongue like they were true to the very last word._

 _Her mother stared at her with a skeptical look before sighing and nodding her head. "Yes, you may, but you are to tell him that we had an accident with the bookshelf again, understood?"_

 _"Again? Okay, mother, I understand."_

 _Later that day, Imogen had gone to see Midorima, who was accompanied by the rest of the team as well. She was questioned about the 'accidental' bruise and just as she was told, she lied._

 _But they knew better than to trust her- no, to trust the stories that she was forced to tell._

 _They knew the truth. There was no false accusation._

* * *

Suddenly Kiyoshi moved before getting up, his arms spread out, blood running down his face. "To protect the members of Seirin, that's what I came back for!" He shouted.

Imogen was in a state she'd rarely been in before, her anger radiating off her body. She could hear Kuroko talking to Hanamiya and for a second his answer sounded genuine before he began laughing and mocking Kuroko. Something in her snapped and she was tempted to beat the life out of him right then and there. The first quarter ended, the teams regrouping in the locker room. Imogen had been sitting on a bench beside Kiyoshi and Hyuga as Kagami kicked away the other bench, quickly being smacked by Riko shortly after. Had she been in a good mood, she probably would have laughed, but she was pissed.

She sat hunched over, her head hanging and her hair hanging over her shoulder. Her bangs, which had escaped the hairband, fell down, curtaining the sides of her face. She suddenly stood up and walked out.

"Imogen." "Imo-chan! Where are you going?" Kagami and Koganei both called to her. She ignored them both and walked out, slamming the door shut behind her.

Riko sighed, shaking her head as Kagami stood to go after her.

"Don't. You'll end up getting hit. She's angry so it's best let her be," Aida said, standing by the door. "If we're lucky, she'll calm down, otherwise we'll have to bench her," she added, rubbing the back of her neck. Imogen wasn't the only one who was angry, the whole team seemed to be, but her anger was on an entirely different level. She stalked down the hallway, people nearly shivering as she passed by.

She suddenly bumped into someone, her fist already raised to punch them. A large hand gripped her wrist and she turned her attention upwards.

"Aomine," she muttered, tugging her arm away.

"Sorry." She moved to walk past him, but he stopped her.

"Sheesh, you're in such a shitty mood, thought you'd be glad to see me," Aomine mocked, pulling her back.

"I'm in a bad mood, I wouldn't advise acting like an idiot, right now. I've got a game to get to," she growled, pushing away from him and walking back to the court.

* * *

Everyone came back to the court, getting ready for the second half to begin. Right out of the gate, everyone was fighting, especially Kuroko and Kagami.

Imogen figured it was time to get some payback and show them what a real basketball player could do. She had had enough of seeing Kirisaki Dai Ichi score. The air around them suddenly became heavy and the atmosphere went tense. She walked towards Hanamiya who was running in her direction to his basket, she hardly had to move before snaking the ball out of his hand and dribbling it down the court back to their hoop.

"Eh!? What is this?! She's fast! Don't tell me she's been holding back?" Hiroshi yelled in confusion, running after her, though he was barely able to catch up, and when he did, she simply stepped around him, seeming like she had disappeared.

The new guy, Kentaro, and Kazuya tried to double team her, but with a single leap, she managed to dunk the ball, dropping down to the ground. Her lips pulled up into a smirk and she looked up to the two boys.

They tensed, Kazuya's bubble popping out of shock. "K-Keh? This aura... Something's changed!" Hiroshi yelled.

Hanamiya watched with narrowed eyes, growling under his breath. "I'll take care of it myself."

Kise and Aomine both tensed, a look of disbelief. "She's..."

* * *

Imogen had managed to gain them back a few points- the other team unable to keep up with her lean and agile body; her speed ridiculously inhuman, only exceeding that with being in _the Zone_. Seirin watched with wide eyes, confused as to what was going on. Hanamiya was only getting angrier and angrier the more she scored or dodged their plays. She stood a few feet from the basket, three guys on her at once. Each one obscuring the referee's view as they kneed and elbowed at her.

"Imogen!" Kagami called out.

Imogen noticed how they didn't expect her to shoot, her head tilting to the side slightly before she jumped up and made a shot from outside the three-point line.

 _"Slice."_

The ball rose in a familiar high arc before swishing into the basketball hoop.

"No way! She made that shot with three marks on her and nearly at half court!" Hiroshi snapped, glaring down at her.

Hanamiya clicked his tongue, retrieving the ball and putting it back into play. Imogen beat them to their basket before they had, prepared to stop them from scoring. Kiyoshi stood beside her, ready as well. Hanamiya completely disregarded Kiyoshi and charged directly at Imogen, once he was close enough, he brought his arms up and forced a strong pass to Kazuya, his elbow and body lurching back into hers, his leg locking around hers and pulled at the taped knee.

 _"Not this time, Daichi."_

* * *

Everything happened so suddenly, and Imogen felt pain in her face and leg, her body collapsing to the ground. His elbow had roughly smashed into her jaw, causing her to bite her lip and tear it open quite a bit, and her knee was paralyzed, almost as if whatever Hanamiya had done, locked her leg into place. It hurt like hell, Imogen's fist punching the floor as a way to distract herself from the pain. The referee blew the whistle to initiate a timeout, but she held a hand up to stop him. Kiyoshi and Hyuga were by her side, offering her a hand to lead her back to the bench. She swatted their hands away and used her own to twist at her knee until it popped back into place. The pain was immense, but she was too determined to win to even acknowledge it.

She stood to her feet, putting her weight on her uninjured leg.

"Hanamiya. You're going to lose." The crowd gasped as she began to limp her way back to the center of the court, hardly any pressuring being put onto her knee. In a split second, the stadium had erupted into loud cheers.

"Imogen! What are you doing?!" Hyuga asked, trying to stop her. "I'm winning."

Hyuga stopped in his spot, a chill running down his, and everyone else's spines. Her voice was cold and dark, almost as if she were a completely different person. He simply nodded, sending her a worried glance.

The team was determined to win this, for Kiyoshi, and for Imogen. She was trying so hard for them, and they'd do the same. They also realized that she wouldn't last too long with the injury she had acquired, so they'd have to score quick. The game resumed and Seirin did not break. They fought until the very end, Hyuga finally making his shots, Imogen assisting in scoring some points. Her eyes gleamed bright green, but her time in the zone was running out, and the more she ran or jumped around, the more pain her knee was taking.

Kirisaki fought to the very end as well, though still trying their dirty tricks. They weren't as successful and in the end, Seirin won, 76 to 70. Imogen returned to normal, but her body collapsed, a loud thud sounding through the loud cheers of the team and crowd.

"Huh. Imogen..." Kuroko called, jogging over to her. Her body was littered with bruised and her lips and jaw were bloody, and he couldn't imagine what her knee looked like.

"Come on, Imo-chan, we've got to line up," he murmured, carefully lifting her to her feet. She leaned against him, holding her injured leg up as she and Kuroko lined up with the others.

Kuroko nearly stumbled with her as they walked back to the bench.

"Kuro...ko..." She mumbled, lifting her head slightly, "it really hurts." The blue-haired boy's eyes widened slightly and he informed Riko.

"She can't play anymore, she'll just have to watch the next game," Riko mumbled. Imogen heard this and looked up.

"No, please, Riko. I want to play against Touou Academy. Even if it's just for the first half. I promised myself that I would beat Aomine," she breathed out, releasing Kuroko and standing up, putting little-to-no pressure on her leg. Kagami moved to stand beside her incase she fell over or collapsed.

"Coach is right, Imogen-san," he said, looking down at her strictly.

Imogen ignored him and walked over to the bench, wincing with every step. She unwrapped the tape and reached into her bag, taking out her brace and slipping it on before throwing on her sweatpants and jacket. She slung her bag over her shoulder, struggling with the extra weight pushing down onto her leg.

"Imo-chan..." Riko murmured before sighing softly and shaking her head.

"We'll see how your leg is when the next game comes up. Besides, we don't even know if we're playing Touou Acadmy yet. Anyways, we're going to head to the hot springs, you should come along, it'll probably help your bruises and knee," she suggested, causing the team to voice their confusion.

" _Eh?!_ "

* * *

Riko sat in the warm water of the hot springs, Imogen sitting on the side in her towel, staring at her knee. It was bruised, but there didn't seem to be any movement of her knee cap. She'd pulled a stupid stunt popping her knee back into place, but it seemed to work since the pain had died down some, however it was still there.

"Aida, please let me play at least one quarter of the game if we go against Touou," she mumbled quietly.

"Imogen. It's not a matter of what you want. I have to do what's best for the team, and if you get hurt then you might not be able to play basketball ever again."

"So be it. I just want Aomine to know what it's like to lose, I want him to be normal again," Imogen breathed out.

"Well, you'll get your chance then," a familiar voice cut in.

"Momoi." Satsuki frowned, stepping in beside Riko.

"That's not a polite greeting, Imo-chan! Like I was saying! You're first opponent...is us." Imogen smiled slightly and looked down at her knee. She would get better. She had to in order to defeat Aomine.

It wasn't just something she wanted, but something that _Kuroko_ wanted too.

* * *

 **Hello, sorry I didn't update over the weekend, I was busy! But I'm back now! Reviews and feedback would be much appreciated! How about this? At least three reviews and I'll add a new chapter? I love seeing your thoughts and ideas and criticism too so long as it's stated politely. Thanks! xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

_To the end of the match with Touou Academy_

Imogen couldn't believe her eyes, Kagami had been in the Zone, something that only the known prodigies, and herself, were rarely able to do. They were down to the final seconds and it was up to Kagami and herself to score.

"Kagami, let me take on Aomine one-on-one. I'll let you take care of the rest," she said, coming to a stop in front of the said male.

She had managed to get past him a few times during the second half, when she was allowed to play, and Aomine had been able to get past her as well. Kagami and Aomine had gone head-to-head while both in the zone and neither team got anywhere, which meant that she had to cut in. She wouldn't be able to enter the Zone, that much she could tell with the timer ticking down, but she'd be able to hold Aomine off long enough to get the flow of the game in their favor.

And that's just what she did, she'd somehow managed to keep up with Aomine's scarily fast movements, her legs beginning to shake and finally she let Kagami do the rest, quickly scoring a point that put them in the lead. There was only two seconds left, and Aomine believed he could win. In the end, Kagami had stopped it, but Imogen once again ended up on the floor. She wasn't in pain this time, she had just stumbled when Aomine broke past her on his way back to his hoop. The buzzer went off and it was silent before Seirin cheered, the crowd going crazy. Imogen leaned back on her arms, laughing quietly, tears in her eyes.

"Imo-chan? What's wrong?" Kuroko asked, looking over at her.

She shook her head and smiled. She'd finally gotten to play against Aomine...and they won. That was more than what she could have asked for. A tanned hand was reached out towards her and she looked up, her smile widening when she saw Aomine.

 _'He's back..._ ' She thought to herself, taking his hand and letting him pull her up.

* * *

 _"Daiki! Daiki! Look! Look what I've got! Shin-chan won't look!" A young girl shouted with utter excitement, her hands cupped together to hold its contents inside. Midorima stood off to the side with a look of distrust. Who knew what that girl could have in her hands?_

 _Aomine grinned and stood beside Imogen, waiting for her to open her hands and reveal what was inside. She slowly pulled her hands apart and revealed three lightning bugs._

 _"This one is Mido-Mido! He's for Shin-chan!" Imogen exclaimed, gesturing towards the bug that sat in the middle of her palm, "and this one is mine! Her name is Momo! And this is yours, Daiki, what are you going to name it?" She asked curiously, sparing a glance up at her taller friend._

 _"Psh...those names are stupid, I'm gonna name it...Ace!" Aomine declared with a wild grin._

 _Imogen rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "That's a good name, Daiki."_

 _Before she could spare another glance at her new "friends", they had flown off. "No, Daiki, Shin-chan! Look, they're getting away!" She cried out, grabbing Aomine's hand and pulling him along in order to chase after them._

 _His hand tightly enclosed around her's, giving it a firm squeeze as they pursued their lightning bugs._

 _She hadn't realized it then, but those little things meant so much more than she could have comprehended._

* * *

"I'm glad I got to play against you, Daiki," she murmured, giving his hand a firm squeeze before reluctantly letting go and heading over towards her team.

She jumped onto Kagami, latching her arms around his neck, staying on his back while he tried to stay balanced. "We did it!" She cheered, ruffling his hair. He merely chuckled and nodded, holding her legs up so she wouldn't fall.

The two of them had an unspoken friendship- their teamwork in the match had proved to positively benefit their relationship as well. Imogen wasn't even sure when she had deemed Kagami her friend, perhaps when they had a one-on-one, but it only grew from there on. She always found herself gravitating towards him, whether it be in a match or elsewhere. Kuroko had seemed to notice it too, as he had pointed it out after a practice a while ago.

She simply shrugged and smiled.

"It's been a while since I've felt rivaled. I guess I just like him." Was her response to it before she went home.

Imogen jumped down from his back, this time lunging onto Kuroko. "I'm hungry," she whined, latching onto him.

"Kagami-kun offered to let someone cook at his place," he reassured, patting her head.

She turned her head to look back at the red-head, grinning at him, which he gladly returned. Imogen released Kuroko, slipping on her jacket and sweatpants before picking her bag up and slinging it over her shoulder.

"I'm going to go talk to Aomine-kun, I'll be back," she said, heading over to where Touou Academy's team sat on the bench; Momoi and their coach talking to them.

Imogen wanted to wait until the coach finished talking, but he seemed to notice her and nodded, gesturing her over.

"E-Eh? Uhm, I just wanted to see if Aomine was still here. I guess he wandered off again..." She mumbled, hiding behind Satsuki nervously.

"Hm, _WAIT HE'S GONE_!" Wakamatsu shouted, standing up with his fists clenched. Imogen giggled, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I'm sure I can find him. Ah, also, good game today, I know it probably sucks that a girl totally kicked your ass, but hey, everybody has their bad days," she joked, the guys of Touou turning red and looking away.

"I'm kidding, you guys did amazing. Hope we can play again!" She said, smiling at them. Wakamatsu flushed red, vigorously nodding his head in agreement.

"SHE'S _CUTE_!" He exclaimed, catching the attention of Seirin's members.

A darkness loomed over their faces, an intimidating aura settling around them. Imogen jumped at the sudden exclamation, her face reddening.

"Well, I'll see you guys later! We'll be sure to win for you!" Imogen said, waving goodbye before heading towards the exit in search of Aomine.

She walked out into the corridor, bumping into someone.

"Aomi-" she stopped, realizing that it wasn't Aomine. It was Hanamiya Makoto. Imogen's eyes narrowed, taking a big step back.

"Why are you here?" She asked bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ah, well, I figured I'd run into you eventually, I've got some things to say to you, but not here," he muttered, grabbing her wrist and beginning to pull her along.

Imogen glared in bewilderment at the hand latched around her wrist.

"Let go! I don't trust you, you conniving litt-" He stopped her with a broad sigh.

"Yeah, yeah, conniving little shit, I know. Just c'mon."

Imogen tugged her wrist from his grip and begrudgingly followed behind him. Little did they know, a pair of pink eyes watched them in concern. Imogen sighed impatiently as she was led outside to the back of the building, her mind raising red flags at the solitary area.

"Why somewhere so isolated, Hanamiya? What do you want to talk about? I have somewhere I need to be," she sneered, leaning against the side of the building.

Hanamiya looked down at her dully before his twisted grin formed. She immediately tensed, pushing off the building to leave. There was no way that he had good intentions.

"You know, Daichi-san, we should've won that match, but you had to intervene," he began, his eyes set in a cold glare.

"You wouldn't have won even if I hadn't played so if that's it, I'll be leaving," she stated, turning to leave.

A hand clenched around her wrists, pulling her back against him.

"At first, I was pretty pissed that you managed to mess with me like that, but now that I think about it, it's pretty hot, you've got more power in you than those boys combined," he commented, turning her around to face him. Now she's was nervous.

"Hanamiya. Let me go," she demanded, trying to pull away from him.

"Not a chance, Imo-san," he purred, ducking down to her height. She squirmed uncomfortably when she felt his lips barely pressing against her ear.

"I think I should just take you home for myself," he murmured, his lips curling into a smirk. Imogen glared furiously at him, kicking her leg out in an attempt to get him away.

"Now, now, Imo-chan, let's not be feisty," he sneered, backing her up against the side of the building, pressing his knee against her healing leg and putting pressure.

"K-Keh, that hurts!" Imogen cried out, catching the attention of a tall passerby. One that was familiar with her voice.

* * *

Momoi walked around in search of Seirin, stopping when he found Kuroko and Aomine instead.

"Imogen-chan!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide with worry. Kuroko and Aomine blinked in confusion, looking around for the said girl.

"No! She's in trouble! I saw Hanamiya Makoto drag her off somewhere!" She explained, gesturing towards the way she came. The two basketball players seemed to freeze before sharing a glance. Aomine headed in the direction that Momoi had pointed while Kuroko went into the Seirin locker room to most likely inform the coach and get more help, though he knew Aomine could probably handle it.

* * *

"It'd be such a shame if I had to hurt you again, Imo-chan," Hanamiya breathed out, grinning down at her. Imogen gritted her teeth, trying to shift her knee away from him, she could feel the immense amount of pressure in her knee again, she was sure she would collapse if he didn't move his leg away soon.

"Get the hell away from me, you bastard!" She shouted, trying to push against them. She glared at him, her eyes narrowed into slits, cat-like even.

"Ah, ah, feisty, Imogen~ Don't make me use a foul on you," he taunted, digging his elbow into her shoulder. A shadow suddenly loomed over them and Hanamiya tensed.

"Imo-chin?" Imogen looked up, the unmistakable hair color and height proving to be familiar to her.

"Murasakibara-kun," she breathed out, slightly relieved.

"Tch. What a repulsive sight," he jeered, easily plucking Hanamiya off of his former teammate, tossing him aside like a ragdoll. Free from Hanamiya's hold, Imogen gripped at her leg, sliding down to the ground.

"Imo-chin, you're still here after your match with Touou Academy?" He questioned, though the answer was obvious. A snack bar was stuck between his lips as he munched away, swiftly lifting her up off the ground.

"N-Ne, Mura-kun, what are you doing?" She asked, confused by his strange behavior.

"People who try too hard disgust me. He was trying too hard to hurt Imo-chin," he grumbled, offering her a bite of his snack bar, which she politely declined.

"You haven't gotten very much taller," he pointed out. Imogen glared spitefully at him, puffing her cheeks out.

"And you grew too much," she retorted, shaking her head.

"You know, Seirin High School is going to end up going against your team, if we both win all of our games, that is," she hummed, slinging an arm around his shoulder for support.

"Your wrist and shoulder are bruised," he stated bluntly.

"Oi, did you even hear me?" She asked, smacking the back of his head. He whined, sending her a glare.

"Eck! Murasakibara-kun and Imo-chan!" Momoi's voice cut in, drawing their attention down to her,Aomine right beside her.

"You can put me down now, Atsu-kun, I'll be okay," she reassured, balancing herself once he did set her down.

Momoi noticed she was leaning more on the opposite leg, quickly stepping forward to support her.

"Mm. Thanks. I'm okay. Hanamiya was acting like an ass, and Atsu-kun stepped in before he could do anything," she reassured them, sending the tall male a grin.

"Imo-chin, I'm leaving," he spoke up bluntly before doing just as he said, gone in just a few seconds.

"Well, that was a pleasant encounter. Bastard slipped off the moment Murasakibara tossed him. Anyways, I'm fine, just bit shaken. Little shit tried to come onto me," she grumbled, nearly spitting out of disgust.

The aura around Aomine seemed to change, causing Imogen to laugh.

"Easy now, Aomine-kun, save your energy, I do believe Kuroko wanted your help with something. Bring me inside and then go find him," she ordered, a childish grin twitching a her lips.

Aomine rolled his eyes and turned his back to her. Imogen smiled and hopped up, using the the force of one leg as best as she could before wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

"Aw, look it's just what you wanted in middle school, Ahomine~!" She teased, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Tch. And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked, beginning to walk back to the school.

Imogen smirked cupping a hand over her mouth and bringing her lips to his ear before whispering it. He suddenly stopped, his face going red.

"I-Imogen!" He snapped, looking away sheepishly.

"Eh? What did he want in middle school?" Momoi asked curiously, causing Aomine's face to darken in color.

"Oh, nothing, Satsuki-san! Aomine was just a being his typical pervert self back in Teiko. You should've heard some of things he said, oh man," she continued to tease, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Oops, sorry, Ao-kun, I probably embarrassed you, huh?" Imogen asked playfully, smiling at him.

They eventually made it to where the rest of both of their teams stood, waiting on them. Riko looked concerned, her eyes glancing down to her knee. To the average eye, nobody would have caught the light peeks of the bruises underneath her jacket whenever she moved, however Kuroko and Kagami both took notice of them, their eyes narrowing, while Kagami seemed to seethe with what Kuroko could assume was jealousy.

Aomine, still slightly red in the face, carefully set Imogen back on her feet. _"You're too much to handle, Imogen."_


	8. Chapter 8

"Next time that bastard does anything like that, let me know, I'll beat the shit out of him," Aomine growled, cracking his knuckles. Imogen's eyebrows quirked up in amusement.

"Alright, tough guy, I'll let you know," she reassured him, rolling her eyes.

"I'll see you two later! Bye Dai-kun, Satsuki-chan," she said, waving to them, her sleeve slipping down her arm, revealing the nasty bruises on her wrist.

"I-Imo-chan!" Riko gasped, rushing over to her, keeping her balance.

"Hana...miya...did this?" Kagami muttered slowly, his fists clenching and his jaw gritting.

"Did he hurt you more than this?" She asked, checking her other wrist as well, taking in that bruise.

Imogen rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, pulling down the collar of her jacket, revealing the dark bruise on her shoulder from where he had elbowed her.

"He got a tad bit aggressive with his elbows, and he put a lot of pressure on my knee, it hurts to walk on it," she explained, reaching out to hold onto the wall.

Riko sighed, shaking her head. "We can check it when we get to Kagami's place to eat," she told her.

Imogen nodded, going to step forward before being stopped.

"I-I'll carry you," Kagami offered, his cheeks tinted red.

Koganei was going to object and offer to carry her himself, but Hyuga smacked the back of his head and pulled him along. Imogen smiled and thanked him, hopping up onto his back.

"Hey, hey, Imo-chan! You've come across almost all of your old friends from Teiko, right? Isn't Akashi the last one?" Koganei suddenly asked, tugging away from Hyuga's grip and walking backwards in front of them.

Kuroko tensed, as did Imogen.

"No. And Akashi isn't really a friend anymore. We won't be associating any time soon, and if it comes to that, I'll simply leave," she growled out, scowling.

"Eh!? Leave? Why?" Koga asked, the others turning to face them as well.

Kuroko decided to step in.

"Sei-kun and Imo-chan don't get along well. Akashi has a very special ability to analyze moves during a game, Emperor's Eye, however he was never able to use it against Imogen. Imogen always played believing that each step she took would be her last on the court, which prevented Akashi from being able to predict what she would do next. They did get along real well at one point, but I can tell you that another time. The two constantly fought after he changed," he explained.

Imogen scrunched her face up in disgust. "That little bastard almost took a pair of scissors to my back, I swore I'd kill him the next time I saw him and if he's still like that, I will certainly hold to it," she snapped.

"And I haven't seen Ryouta in person yet either, but I don't plan to anytime soon. You see, my problem with him is that he's stupid," she grumbled childishly.

"E-Eh...s-scary... Kagami, she might kill you," Koganei whispered, stepping back.

Imogen glared, hiding her face in Kagami's neck.

"Imo-chan, Hitome-san said that if your leg was taking on anymore pain, that you should go see her again. She'll also reprimand you for playing in a match you weren't supposed to be in," Izuki suddenly spoke up, causing the girl on Kagami's back to go rigid.

"Oh, shit... Shit, shit, shit! Kuroko-chan! She'll make me stay at home or use that damned crutch again," she whined.

"Unless, BaKagami, you don't mind carrying me, right?" She asked, picking her head up to reveal her sly grin.

"Imogen. No. You have to get it looked at," Kuroko suddenly cut in.

Imogen suddenly blinked. " _WAIT! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE WITH AHOMINE_?" She asked, nearly falling off the red-head's back.

"I told Momoi-san to meet up with me later," he said, shrugging.

"Neh, I see. You should go now then, knowing Ahomine, he won't show up after a certain time," Imogen told him, waving him off.

"To Kagami's!" She hummed, pointing forward, seemingly full of newfound energy, much to the team's surprise.

* * *

By the time they had gotten to Kagami's, Kuroko following suit after meeting up with Aomine, Imogen had been fast asleep. Her arms were draped over Kagami's shoulders, her legs being supported by the male's hands.

"Damn, and we thought she was full of energy?" Kagami muttered, opening the door to his apartment and walking in.

"I don't blame her, a lot happened to her in one day," Hyuga reminded him.

"Well! Since Imo-chan is asleep! I'll do the cooking!" Riko cheered before being shushed by the team as Imogen squirmed.

Riko tensed and backed away.

"Oh, right, ah, Kagami-kun, you might want to set her down in case she wakes up."

. . .

"Why?"

"Well, you see, she's a very violent person when she's mad, as you have seen, but if someone wakes her up, it's on a whole different level. Koganei accidentally woke her up last year and he was out cold the entire practice. I think she gets her grumpiness from Aomine-kun, right, Kuroko-san?" Riko asked, looking over to the blue-haired male. He hummed as if in thought before nodding.

"Partly. The rest of her...violence she actually acquired from Sei-kun, she just won't admit to it."

"B-But she looks so innocent," Furihata stammered, shaking in his spot.

"Hm, she's quite nice when she's asleep," Kuroko commented, taking a seat on the floor.

Kagami tensed and nodded, going to put Imogen in his room so he could sleep. Imogen squirmed before blinking her eyes open, yawning softly.

"Ne, so...warm," she mumbled, tightening her grip around Kagami, unintentionally choking him.

"E-Eck! I-Imo-san...C-Can't...breathe," he choked out, nearly falling over as he attempted to pull her arms loose. Imogen hummed before pulling back slightly.

"Oh! Sorry, Kagami-kun, I didn't even realize." Imogen grinned at him, slowly slipping from his back, landing on the floor.

Her knee gave out and she dropped down, the team watching with wide eyes.

She held her arms out, shaking her head in reassurance before shifting in her spot to sit.

"I'm fine, no worries. I'm going to call oba-san and have her take me to see Hitome at the hospital," she mumbled.

"Eh, Kuroko-chan, do you have your phone on you? I think I left mine at home," Imogen said, puffing her cheeks out.

Kuroko nodded and handed his phone over to her.

"Mm, thanks!" Imogen beamed at him, taking his cellphone and beginning to dial her aunt's number before pausing, contemplating something before grinning slightly.

* * *

"Hm..? Imo-chin is calling?" The tall, stoic basketball player asked, his head resting in his hand as he stared blankly at his ringing phone. Tatsuya blinked, looking down at the phone as well.

"Isn't she part of Seirin's team? We might end up going against them..." Himuro murmured thoughtfully.

Murasakibara picked up his cellphone, blatantly munching on snacks as he answered.

"Imo-chin." He could hear the girl huff, clicking her tongue.

"Wow, what a greeting, I'm impressed. Anyways, since you're hanging around for the games, would you mind doing me a favor?" She asked, snickering as a sigh emitted from him soon after.

"Sounds like too much effort," Murasakibara retorted blankly. He listened as Imogen sighed as well.

"Please! I'll buy you snacks, anything you want. You just have to take me to the hospital so I can get my knee looked at before the next games," she explained.

He perked up at the mention of snacks. "Fine, we can go to the sweets shop after. Where are you?" Murasakibara questioned, returning to his usual, lazy self.

Imogen let out a nervous chuckle.

"At Kagami-kun's. I'd meet up with you elsewhere, but I can't really walk right now," she muttered.

His eyes narrowed and he scoffed, suddenly forcing the cellphone into Himuro's hands, resuming his snacking.

"Eh?! What's that for? What am I supposed to do?" Tatsuya asked suddenly.

"Eto...can you just come get me if I give you the address?" She asked, not realizing it was now Himuro that she was talking to.

"Ano, Daichi-san..? Mura-kun gave me the phone..." He trailed off sheepishly.

"Eh? Who's this?" She asked, confused.

"Tatsuya Himuro, Murasakibara's teammate," he introduced, sending a glare towards the purple-haired giant, who continued to smugly munch on his snacks.

"Ah, hello, I'll just give you the address and you can drag him there, right?" She asked him, almost pleading.

"H-Hn? Drag. Him...? I-I guess," he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. Imogen laughed and relayed the address to him, even going as far as to threaten them if they were late.

Imogen handed Kuroko's phone back to him and thanked him. "Arigatou, Tetsu-chan," she said, giving him a thumbs up.

She stretched her leg a bit, occasionally checking the time. "I hate to leave so soon, but the more time I waste, the more I'll stall in going and the worse my knee will get," she excused, slowly moving to her feet.

Imogen nearly collapsed, swaying slightly. Kuroko stood up and caught her.

"I'll take you out, I'm sure your oba-san is worried," he spoke up, slinging her arm over his shoulder and beginning to walk her down.

"Yeah...my oba-san..." She muttered.

* * *

Kuroko walked her out of the building, carefully leading her along so she wouldn't fall or stumble. They waited outside, Imogen insisting that he could go back inside since she was able to wait by herself, however he was just as stubborn as she was and simply waited with her until two figures came to a stop in front of them.

"Hm? Murasakibara-kun, Himuro-kun?" Kuroko spared a glance over at Imogen, watching her smile sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I didn't want to interrupt oba-san and I knew he was still around because of the match so I just figured he could take me to see Hitome-san," she explained, shrugging her shoulders.

"Okay. Text me when it's over and what Hitomi-san says," he requested before bidding her a goodbye and heading back inside, leaving Imogen with Murasakibara and Himuro.

"Mm, thanks for doing this, Mura-kun! You must've been busy," she joked, grinning up at him, though he simply looked down at her.

"Too much effort..." He grumbled, "let's go, Imo-chin, I want to get those snacks."

Imogen rolled her eyes, puffing her cheeks out.

"Don't worry, he's always like this," Himuro tried to assure her.

Imogen snickered, raising an amused brow. "Hm? Atsu-kun didn't tell you about me? Ah, I thought you loved me?" She whined jokingly.

The tall male glared down at her, however his glare held no effect on her.

"H-Heh?! You know him?" Tatsuya asked incredulously.

Imogen nodded, walking, more like limping, up behind Murasakibara, using the strength she could to hop up onto his back.

"Can't walk, remember? Now let's go before the convenience store closes. And yeah, we went to Teiko together," she said, curling her arms and legs around Atsushi.

"Hm...wait, you're 'that' Daichi Imogen?" Himuro asked, tilting his head up slightly to look at her.

Imogen slowly nodded. "I guess..?" She mumbled, resting her head on Murasakibara's shoulder as he began to walk.

Himuro hummed, nodding his head slightly as he continued to walk beside his tall friend and the girl residing on his back.

"You know, we're totally going to beat you in the next match," she teased, blowing on Atsushi's ear.

Despite her constant picking and taunting, the purple haired male more than tolerated her. Imogen was naturally an interesting person, and she used to buy him snacks whenever he asked her too. Murasakibara shook his head.

"Imo-chin, I'll drop you," he threatened lazily, turning his head to look at her.

"You wouldn't dare," she drawled out cautiously.

"If you do, I'll simply hang on to you and possibly choke you," she threatened in return, her eyes narrowing down on him.

"Plus, I offered to buy you sweets," she added, a small smirk forming since she knew he wasn't willing to give up free food.

As they continued to bicker, Himuro watched with a slight smile. He hadn't seen anyone get along well with his friend since his attitude was fairly dull and he was lazy with mostly everything. It was a nice change. Refreshing.


	9. Chapter 9

They reached the hospital and Imogen checked in at the ER, requesting for Hitome, meanwhile still resting on her tall friend's back. The nurses in the ER shared a puzzled look before leading them to a room so Imogen could actually sit down. Imogen carefully moved off of Atsushi's back and hopped up onto the small bed, leaning back against her arms as they waited. The door to the room opened and in walked Hitome, who looked rather angry.

Imogen tensed and cowered back.

"Daichi Imogen." The tone made Imogen cringe, sparing a pleading glance towards the two boys sitting in the chairs in the corner of the room.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I wasn't intentional! We had a match with a school who liked to play dirty and I couldn't let them beat up my team so I subbed in and played and the captain managed to cause some problems, and then he found me again today and now it's hard to walk on," she explained, gesturing to her knee.

Hitome sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. "It's fine, let's just take a look at your knee. We'll do some tests," Hitome explained, rolling up the leg of Imogen's sweatpants, slipping off the knee brace as well.

Imogen hadn't even looked at her knee so she was a bit surprised by the immense amount of bruising and slight displacement of her knee cap. Hitome hummed in thought before gently poking at it, causing Imogen to whine.

"Imogen, tell me about your friends over there, would you?" Hitome requested, not breaking her gaze from the girl's knee.

Imogen squinted in confusion before nodding her head. "Ano...The tall one is Murasakibara Atsushi, remember? He used to come to my appointments with me back in middle school," she said, looking over to the two, "and the other one is Murasakibara's friend Tatsuya Himuro, he also plays basket- _OW_!" Imogen shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth as her eyes teared up.

Hitome had gotten her distracted, and abruptly pushed her knee cap back into place, the loud pop a perfect indication that it had worked. Even Atsushi and Himuro had winced at the sound and action. Imogen glared daggers at Hitome, puffing her cheeks out.

"That hurt, Hitome-san! I can't believe you didn't tell me you were going to do that!" Imogen grumbled, rubbing at her eyes.

Hitome simply smiled and patted her leg, careful to avoid her knee.

"You would've felt more pain if you expected it," she excused, shrugging her shoulders before beginning to carefully move and stretch out the young girl's leg.

Imogen didn't wince or whine as much, but it still hurt.

"Well, it was just a dislocation and some bruising for now, you're lucky you didn't fracture or tear anything, Imogen. The pain, with the help of some medication, should fade in a few days. Until then you're to rest your leg. No playing in basketball or putting pressure on your legs. You're to stay at home in bed, and if it's absolutely necessary that you go out, you're to use the crutches again as well as wear the knee brace. I fear that over time it'll get worse, and surgery is...inevitable if that happens," she said quietly.

Imogen pouted. "I knew it!" Imogen huffed, but reluctantly nodded her head.

"Fine, but as long as I get to play in the final match next week then I will," she muttered, glancing over at the two boys.

"Guess I won't be playing you guys at the match in a few days if Seirin advances," Imogen mumbled dejectedly.

"But we'll still win anyhow, so I'm alright," she added playfully.

Hitome handed her the knee brace back and allowed her to put it on and roll the leg of her sweatpants back down.

"Alright, wait here and I'll go fetch your crutches. I'm assuming you still have your medication at home so you should be set to go," Hitome explained, patting her back lightly.

"Sorry, Imogen, maybe next time."

Imogen shrugged and smiled. "It's alright, I'll still be able to support my team. Thank you for helping me, Hitome-san. I promise not to get hurt anymore," she vowed, half-assed.

Hitome rolled her eyes and headed towards the door.

"Don't lie, Imogen. Now wait here." With that Hitome went to sign out a pair of her crutches, leaving Imogen alone with the two boys again.

The girl groaned, scrunching her face up.

"Man, I was totally looking forward to matching up against Mura-kun," she muttered.

"That's too much effort," Atsushi countered lazily. "Ah, it's a shame really, but it's for your own good," Himuro reasoned, smiling sheepishly.

"Psh. Okay."

* * *

Hitome returned minutes later offering the crutches to the girl, who begrudgingly took them and used them to stand up.

"Great, thank you, Hitome-san. Mura-kun, Tatsu-kun, let's go," she mumbled, heading towards the door, the two boys standing up and following her.

"Let's go get those snacks, Atsu-kun," she muttered, exiting the room and then the hospital.

It had gotten darker so they were going to have to be quick if they wanted to make it before the convenience store closed.

They made their way to the store, Imogen glaring down those who would stare at her. Imogen pushed the doors to the convenience store open and stepped in heading over to the counters.

"Pick out what you want, but be quick. I need some sleep," she spoke sternly, her eyes narrowed down on Murasakibara.

She turned to Himuro and smiled at him before the two disappeared down the aisles. Imogen sighed quietly to herself, leaning back and forth on her crutches as she waited.

It took about ten minutes for the two to return, in which she grumpily took the tall male's sweets and brought them to the counter. She paid for everything, handing the bag to Atsushi before thanking the male at the cash register, who seemed to be intimidated by the purple beast beside her and his fellow friend.

"Don't worry, they don't bite, but one might crush you," she teased with a sly grin before waving and leaving the store.

"I've got to go home now, so I'll see you at the next match, Atsu-kun, Himuro-kun. It was good to see you again, and to meet you, but next time we meet, we'll be rivals," she said, giving them a thumbs up.

"Are you sure you want to walk home alone?" Himuro asked, Murasakibara paying no attention to us as he contently munched away on his snacks. Imogen shook her head.

"No, I'll be fine. I'll give Atsu-kun a text when I make it home," she reassured them.

"Alright. We'll see you in a couple days, I hope," Tatsuya claimed, waving to her before turning and walking in the opposite direction.

"Bye, Imo-chin," Atsushi said subtly, following after his teammate. Imogen watched them as they left before turning and walking away as well.

* * *

Imogen wandered home, unlocking and pushing the door to her apartment open. She made her way to the kitchen, throwing her key and wallet down onto the counter before throwing the refrigerator door open, searching for something to eat. She fished out the milk, going through her pantry and pulling out some cereal. It would suffice, and she wasn't in the mood to cook so it'd be easier for her. She made herself a bowl, putting everything away afterwards and carefully making her way to her room, trying to use one crutch at a time so she wouldn't drop her cereal.

That didn't work, her cereal did indeed end up on the floor, but not for the reason she would have expected.

" _WHAT THE HELL? HOW ARE YOU GUYS GETTING INTO MY APARTMENT?_ " She yelled exasperatedly before slumping to the floor beside her spilled cereal.

"Guys...m-my food," she whined, dropping her crutches next to her.

She looked back up at the two casually sitting on her bed and in her desk chair. Kiyoshi and Hyuga. The two looked on in surprise before smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, Imogen-chan! We didn't think you'd be that surprised," Kiyoshi explained, rubbing the back of his neck as he spun around in the desk chair.

Hyuuga stood up, helping Imogen back to her feet, while she glared furiously at him.

"I'll go make you another bowl," he offered, patting her head lightly before disappearing into the kitchen.

Imogen placed her crutches on the end of her bed, sitting down beside them. Kiyoshi stood up and sat beside her. She knew why they were here, but she didn't want to say anything. As Hitome had said, it was inevitable, just like Kiyoshi, if he were to take on more damage.

Hyuuga returned moments later, a new bowl in one hand, while he held a rag in the other to clean up the mess they had unintentionally made. She accepted the bowl with a quiet thank you, curling her uninjured knee up to her chest, while letting the other one rest flat out against the bed, despite the slight discomfort. Hyuuga cleaned up the mess, leaving the room once again, however, this time coming back much faster. He took Kiyoshi's spot in the desk chair, letting the silence settle in the room.

"Guys, just ask, I know that's why you're here," she muttered, hastily spooning some cereal in her mouth, averting her gaze.

"What did your doctor say?" Kiyoshi finally asked.

Imogen shrugged, swallowing before handing the bowl over to Kiyoshi. She rolled the leg of her sweatpants up and carefully slipped the knee brace off, displaying the banged up knee with dark black and blue bruises.

"It was just some bad bruising and dislocation, she managed to pop my knee cap back into place, but she says the more I play, the worse it's

going to get and that surgery is inevitable," she explained, taking her bowl back.

They stared at her knee for a few minutes before looking up to her face, her expression unidentifiable.

"I expected it, of course, and in the end it'll probably help me play in the long run, but I'll be out of the game for a year at least," she muttered, "not to be insensitive to you, Kiyoshi-san, I know you're dealing with it too." Imogen sent him a small smile.

"Maybe we'll be going to the same place for surgery. We can be roommates," Kiyoshi said, trying to brighten the atmosphere.

Imogen laughed quietly and nodded in agreement.

"I'd like that," she hummed, finishing up the rest of her cereal.

"Does this mean you won't be playing in the upcoming matches- and if we win them, the final?" Hyuuga asked.

"Hitome asked me not to play until it's entirely better, but I reasoned with her and she said to not play in the next few matches at least, so all I'm asking is to play in the final once we make it," she requested.

"It's up to Riko, Imogen-san," Junpei reminded her.

She nodded solemnly, resting the empty bowl in her lap. "I know, but I'll find a way."

Hyuuga and Kiyoshi shared a short look before nodding their heads, standing up.

"We've got to get home and rest up for practice tomorrow. I'm assuming you're on bed-rest until the match so, rest well," Hyuuga said, smiling at her.

He ruffled her hair, much to her irritation before walking out. Kiyoshi grinned and did the same, messing her hair up even more.

"See you soon, little Imo-chan. Get better. Everyone is worried about you," he said sincerely.

Imogen smiled and thanked him.

"Thanks for the concern, but...I'll be okay."

 _I hope._

* * *

"Bye, Imogen!" The two called out before leaving.

Imogen heaved a sigh and crawled up to the top of her bed, setting the empty bowl down on her bedside table, retrieving her phone as well. She dialed Tetsuya's number, patiently waiting for him to pick up.

"Imogen-san? What did Hitome-san say? Everyone's concerned," Kuroko's voice cut in.

"Just put me on speaker, I'll just let everyone know at the same time," she said, waiting before he let her know that he had done as she said.

Imogen took a deep breath. "..What in the living _hell_ are you idiots doing worrying about me? I'm fine, and you've got a match coming up so worry about yourself. I won't be playing in the next match, but once we make it, I've gotten the okay to play in the finals. Hitome-san- my doctor- says that it was just bruised and dislocated. Problem solved, now, Kuroko," she paused, waiting for him to turn off speaker phone, "Hitome-san says that if I take anymore damage to my knee then surgery is inevitable."

Kuroko's breath hitched slightly, earning curious glances from the team. "Ah, I see. Then you'll be leaving after the final match?" He asked, hearing her hum in response.

"Yeah, most likely. I know that the final match, if we make it, will be a tough one so taking on more pressure or damage is likely so it'll be a few days after. I don't want to wait for it to get to the point where I won't be able to play anymore so it's better to get surgery and rehab over so that I can jump back into practices and games afterwards," she explained.

Kuroko listened with furrowed brows, nodding his head when she spoke. The others watched him, puzzled at the seemingly quiet conversation over the phone. Imogen was leaving after the deciding match? They couldn't help, but wonder why, though some had a sneaking suspicion.

"Goodbye, Imogen-san. See you soon..." He hung up, putting the phone back in his pocket.

"She won't be attending practices since Hitome-san put her on bed-rest," he said, glancing over at Riko, who hummed and nodded.

"Alright, then let's do as she told us and focus on practices and the games."

 _Let's do it for her._

* * *

 **Hello! I hope you're enjoying this so far. And thank you so so much to those who have reviewed so far! It really fuels me to write more and more! So keep them coming! :) xx**


	10. Chapter 10

Being on bed-rest was something Imogen thought she would have at least enjoyed due to the not practicing and getting in a few extra hours of sleep, but that wasn't the case. She constantly had to shift around because of the discomfort any position she laid in brought her leg, and then she got hungry, or she'd need to shower, or take her medication. Then she would have to struggled to use her crutches and move around. Getting undressed was a ball too, especially on the first morning where her leg hurt the worst. She had to call Momoi to help her, but that took too long so she tried to do it herself and ended up on the floor in tears as she clutched her brutally aching leg.

Imogen was tempted to just amputate her leg and call it quits by the second day, but the medicine was indeed helping reduce the inflammation of her knee and the pain it brought with it. Keeping track of when she would take her medication was just as fun because she'd occasionally doze off and forget until she woke up in pain again.

* * *

 _"God damn it! Get the hell back here! What in the living hell did I do to deserve this shitty piece of a-_ " The string of profanities reached two pairs of ears as they walked through her door.

"You know what, screw it, I don't need the damn bottle anyways."

The two visitors waited outside her door, patiently waiting for her bad spell to pass before the shorter of the two knocked on the door, the curse words ceasing.

"Who the fu-" Her voice cut out as she stopped mid-sentence, a slightly shuffling noise sounding before something was thrown at the door, causing one of the two on the other side to jump slightly.

"The door is unlocked," Imogen called out, half-hanging off her bed as she attempted to reach the bottle of pills that had rolled underneath. The door opened and in walked two familiars.

"Oh, hey, Kuroko-kun, Kagami-kun," she greeted lazily, dipping her head back down and beginning her search again before giving up altogether, pushing herself back up onto the bed and flopping down.

"Imo-chan, what are you doing?" Tetsuya asked, walking into her room, dropping his bag to the floor beside her bed.

"I dropped my medication bottle under the bed and I can't get it. You know, I've never hated being in bed as much as I do after these past two days," she sneered irritably.

Kuroko nodded his head in understanding, leaning down to retrieve the stray bottle. He pulled it out and handed it to her, brushing off his jacket before sitting on the end of her bed.

"Thank you," she mumbled, popping it open and taking one out, checking the time on her phone before taking it, tightening the cap back on it.

"Aren't you two supposed to be at practice?" She asked, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

"Aida sent us to check up on you, and Kagami-kun was getting a bit too anxious, he couldn't focus, even with his former mentor so Aida sent him with me," Tetsuya explained.

Imogen snorted, flicking the pill bottle at Kagami's head, watching it hit its target.

"Bakagami, I already told you not to worry about me. Sheesh, if you guys lose the game because of me, I'll have Mura-kun crush all of you," she jested, snickering as Kagami rubbed his forehead where the bottle had made contact.

"Tch. Then don't be so stupid and get yourself hurt all the time," he retorted, causing Imogen to raise an eyebrow.

"Oops, my bad," she surrendered jokingly, raising her hands up. "But seriously, I don't want you to lose...so focus on practicing. I mean, the match is tomorrow. I'll be there to cheer you all on, and I'll be ready for the final match so you two dorks need to practice," Imogen said sternly, launching a pillow at Kuroko, who stopped it before it could hit him.

"We had two other games, Aida forgot to tell you, but I do believe that she wanted you to stay here and rest anyways. We beat both teams so we will be facing Yosen," Kuroko spoke up, causing Imogen to jolt in her spot.

"But I was told that we had two days..." She trailed off.

"God damn it, Riko. Well, I'm glad you won then. I'm assuming that the few days of training start tonight then?" She questioned, watching the two of them nod.

Kuroko and Kagami filled her in on the matches, as well as on the information of Kagami's previous mentor, Alex Garcias, who she actually happened to know.

"I know her. We met up with her when I was back in America for the tournament, she's pretty cool," Imogen admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "Now that I think about it, she mentioned you a lot, but I never cared to remember your name. Too many names I had to remember while I was there anyways, but she said you excelled at basketball even as a child, though it took some training. She also said you were a cute kid!" Imogen gushed.

Kagami flushed red, turning his head away in embarrassment.

"Shut up," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Imogen snickered and rolled her eyes. She was about to retort, however a knock on her apartment door caught her attention. She blinked, pushing herself up onto her feet, leaning down on one foot and retrieving her crutches.

"Who the hell is it now?" She muttered, making her way out to the door.

She pulled it open, blinked and then slammed it shut, turning away.

"... _Imocchi!_ " A sudden cry rang out.

Imogen watched as Kagami and Kuroko left her room to join her, Kuroko opening the door back up when he heard Kise whine.

"Kurokocchi! Kagamicchi too? Imocchi, are you busy? I could come back another time," Kise offered with a teasing grin.

"Shut it, Ryouta. What do you want?" Imogen asked, moving back so she could use the wall as support.

Kise hummed, looking rather sheepish. "Well, Akacchi had texted everyone to meet up the other day, and you didn't show up so he's kind of mad and he wishes to talk to you, but that's not why I'm here!"

"I received the text. I refuse to do anything he says until he's back to normal, now what are you here for?" She demanded, sending him a look of distaste.

She didn't necessarily hate him, but he was like an annoying little brother that refused to leave you alone, especially back at Teiko.

"Well, I heard from Atsucchi that you were hurt and I wanted to say hello!" He exclaimed, a grin settling over his face.

Imogen's expression faltered and she gave a slight- very slight- smile. As much as she hated to admit it, it was good to see him. He was a ball of energy that seemed to spread happiness wherever he went.

"Atsushi-kun told you? What'd you do; bribe him for my whereabouts?" Imogen questioned jokingly, however with the way Kise chuckled nervously made her glare.

"Creep," she grumbled, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Anyway, why does 'Heterochromia'-san need me?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Kise hummed in thought before shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not too sure, Imocchi. He never really said why," he explained.

"He's still around if you want to go see him, I'm sure he misses you," Kise teased.

"Yeah, I'm sure he does," she spat out bitterly.

Kise sighed, Kuroko glancing between the two, while Kagami stood by completely clueless.

"Imocchi, don't be so difficult! You two used to get along so well, it was almost scary and now you two don't talk anymore. Poor Akacchi!"

Imogen glared at him in bewilderment.

"Why are you sympathizing a psychopath? I'm not talking to him until he's back to his other self. End of story." She left no room for an argument, focusing on the floor beneath her feet.

"Imogen-san, you two did used to get along so well. The whole incident with the scissors was probably just the result of Akacchi having a bad day," Kise tried to reason, however Imogen shook her head and glared at him.

"I'll talk to him when he's himself," she huffed, looking away.

"Kise-kun, I think you should give up," Kuroko cut in, causing the blonde to sigh exasperatedly.

"Kurokocchi! You too?!" Kise whined.

"Anyways! You all have practice tonight right? If we beat Yosen and you beat...who was it again? Fu...Fufu... Oh! Fukuda Sogo Academy, we'll be up against you, and of course we'll win! Then we'll get to take on Rakuzan," Imogen said with a sly grin.

"Tch, you have to worry about Murasakibaracchi first! And we'll definitely go all the way!" Kise argued, pointing at her.

Imogen quirked a brow in amusement. "Psh, I heard that Seirin beat you in a practice match, and that was when I was in America, now that I'm here...You don't stand a chance."

Kise frowned, whining about how mean she was to him.

"Well, Kaijo won't go down so easy! I'm their ace and I'll lead them to victory!" Imogen snorted at him, waving it off. She gestured to Kagami.

"Yeah, and he's ours. He'll do exactly the same, but we'll also contribute to the victory, y'know," Imogen retorted smugly, enjoying getting under Kise's skin.

Kaijo's ace pouted, draping over Kuroko. "Kurokocchi, she's being mean again!"

"Get off of me, please, Kise-kun," Kuroko said politely, nudging him off.

Imogen thought Kise would collapse from his melodramatic acts.

"Now, as I was saying, you all have practice tonight, so why don't I tag along with you, Kise. It'll give me a chance to see Kasamatsu and Moriyama once more before we become true rivals," she said, trying to get out of the apartment.

She'd been stuck there for two days, she was going insane.

"Ne? Sure! But Kasamatsucchi is still scared of girls, y'know..."

"No." Kuroko's voice intervened, surprisingly stern.

"You're not supposed to be doing anything aside from recovering, which means no playing in the games either," he pointed out, causing Imogen to pout, her face falling to a look of disappointment.

"But that's not fair! Hitome-san said I could be in the finals! And it sucks sitting home alone," she mumbled.

"In the finals. That's if we make it," Kuroko said, trying to reason with her.

He knew that it was probably hurting Imogen, however he didn't want to make the already known outcome worse than it already was.

"I still don't like sitting home alone," she murmured, looking away with an expression he hadn't seen since they were in junior high.

Kuroko realized he had hit a sensitive topic, even if it was unintentional.


	11. Chapter 11

_Growing up, Imogen had spent a lot of her time alone. Her parents had often been out on business calls or business parties, anything related to their jobs. She hardly saw them at all. Whenever they were out, she always spent her time with Midorima, hence why she had grown up close to him. He had always been there for her whenever her parents weren't, which was more often then not. One night, Midorima hadn't been home, so Imogen had been stuck at home by herself. During a nasty storm. She had a fear of storms, loud thunder and bright lightening along with the wind and the heavy rainfall always put her on edge. She had spent the entire night and even the next day by herself, shaking and crying the entire night. She had been five at the time. Her parents hadn't even considered checking on her when they returned home for the few hours they had to do paperwork and whatnot. Whenever they did see her, they were strict and monotone. They'd remind her to mind her own business and do her chores and homework, if she didn't she'd get in trouble. If she wasn't prim and proper, the girl would be forced to miss a dinner. She basically grew up independently, though she did get to rely on Midorima, and soon those who took care of her at Teiko._

Imogen hadn't always been like the way she was now; playful, open and determined. As a child, she had been fairly quiet and isolated, trying to keep to herself and avoid doing anything wrong. When she had joined the basketball team as the fill-in, it had been unintentional. She had bumped into Aomine the first day at Teiko and the two had gotten along quite well, he and Midorima taught her plenty of skills, however she had been naturally talented in the sport. During a scrimmage, her father had interrupted the practice, going off about how a proper lady doesn't play such grueling sports, which brought the young girl to tears. She had been a disgrace to her family by playing the sport and just when she had asked to quit, the team had helped her back onto her feet and reassured her that she would be just fine with them.

Over time, they had managed to break her out of her isolated shell and turned her into the way she was today.

Imogen hadn't spoken to her parents since that day. She had moved in with her aunt and uncle until she reached high school, where her aunt and uncle offered to pay for her apartment and rent as long as she promised to continue pursuing what she loved. And she did.

* * *

Imogen rubbed the back of her neck, adjusting the crutches underneath her arms.

"I...um... Yeah, I'll stay home then. Tell everyone I said hi," she mumbled, disappearing back into her room, kicking the door shut behind her and locking it.

She crawled back into her bed and curled up onto her side, staring at the opposite side of the room. She wasn't mad at Kuroko, he was simply trying to do what was best for her, however she didn't like being left alone for long periods of time. Call her clingy, but it was her parents' faults that she was like that.

* * *

The three boys stared at the door, two of them watching solemnly, while the other stared in confusion.

"What was that about?" Kagami asked, looking between Kise and Kuroko, an expression on his face that demanded answers.

Kuroko sighed and began to explain it all to him. By the end of the entire explanation, Kagami looked rather livid.

"Those bastards! How could they do that to her? She was a child!" Kuroko reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Imocchi's parents were strict, much like Akacchi's father, however they were never there to support her or check in on her. They sometimes even went as far as not allowing her to eat a meal, whether it be one meal or all three. If she didn't do what they said. Imogen and Akashi could relate with how strict their parents were, which is why they got along so well, but lots of things changed. Imogen moved out and she hasn't seen her parents since. Her aunt and uncle pay for this place for her," Kise explained, letting Kagami process it all.

Kagami seethed before nodding his head.

"I can see why she would want to go to a practice after being away from everyone for a few days. I don't think she's had any company until today, but Hitome-san said she was to be on bed-rest unless it was absolutely necessary that she gets up," Kuroko spoke out, glancing back towards the door.

"I don't think we should leave her alone, Kurokocchi."

They couldn't debate on anything for too long since they'd have to leave for practice in just a few minutes. While Kise made a phone call, Kuroko and Kagami went to say their goodbyes, though they both seemed reluctant to do so. Kuroko knocked lightly on the door.

"Imogen-san, we've got to leave for practice. I'll text you how it goes," he said, stepping back. They could hear her quiet voice utter out an ' _okay_ '.

"See ya' later, Imogen, rest up so that we can have you back with us," Kagami said before following behind Kuroko.

The two of them never seeing the small smile that stretched across her lips.

"Imocchi! I'm on my way out too! See you soon, okay?" Kise called out to her, waiting for the faint ' _alright_ ' he received in return before leaving the apartment after Kuroko and Kagami.

He had made a call, thankfully receiving an answer. Imogen wouldn't be alone for much longer.

* * *

Imogen had exited her room about half an hour after everyone had left, making her way into the kitchen, albeit quite spitefully. She had had enough of these damned crutches. Her knee was fine. Imogen dropped the crutches from her grip, walking- more like limping- the rest of the way to the kitchen. It hurt. A lot. But she couldn't stand feeling to weak. She _despised_ it.

She stopped by the pantry, pivoting on her leg to open the door. Her knee went weak and she collapsed to the floor, her arms out in front of her to brace herself from the fall. Imogen frowned, her arms shaking. She pushed herself into a sitting position, leaning back against the wall.

Imogen felt a whirlwind of emotions; frustration, irritation, melancholy, and dejection. And she felt alone. However, not for long. Imogen's head lifted up when there was a knock on her apartment door, a look of confusion settling on her face.

"The door is unlocked," she called out, not caring how pitiful she looked.

The door clicked open and in walked Midorima Shintarou.

"Hm, Shin-chan? Why are you here?" She asked, watching the green-haired male make his way over to her crutches, picking them up with his neatly-wrapped fingers.

"Ryouta-san called and told me that you were alone, in fact," he said subtly, leaning the crutches against the wall next to Imogen before leaning over and forcing her to her feet, holding her up until he could retrieve the crutches.

"I should have guessed that you'd do something as stupid as try to walk on your own," he added, handing her each crutch before she was stable on her own.

Imogen scowled, glaring at him.

"Are you surprised? You know me, I don't like feeling so weak," she muttered, moving around him to the pantry.

"Besides, don't you have practice, or something?" She asked, changing the topic before she got the typical Midorima lecture about herself.

"We did, but Kise had made it seem like an absolute emergency so I asked to leave early, you're lucky that Otsubo agreed."

Imogen rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she reached up to grab a box of crackers. A hand reached over her's and retrieved it for her, bringing it down to her height.

The girl scrunched her face up in a look of annoyance.

"I didn't tell you to come here so don't be mad at me, and I could have gotten that, _in fact_ ," she mocked, taking the box anyway, and carrying one of the open flaps in her mouth so she could move around Midorima.

"Mmph, well..." she paused, setting the box down on the counter once she had made it, "since you're already here, lets watch a movie."

Midorima looked down at her with a stoic expression. She had made it clear that it wasn't an option for him to say no so he simply sighed and gave a single nod of his head.

Imogen smiled, picking the box back up in her mouth and making her way to the main room with the couch and television.

"Come on, Shin-chan, no time to waste," she called out, though it was muffled a bit from the box she was carrying.

Imogen dropped onto the couch with absolutely no grace, setting the crutches on the ground beside her. She crossed one leg over the other as she laid back, taking the box of crackers into her hands and beginning to munch away on them.

Midorima entered the room, going to sit in the love seat beside the couch, however Imogen's narrowed gaze told him otherwise.

"Just throw a movie in and you're sitting over here," she ordered with a grin.

If she hadn't been injured, or had she not been in such a pitiful state moments ago, he probably would have argued with her. He brushed it off and picked out a movie, setting everything up before going over to the couch, carefully picking up her legs and sitting down, allowing her legs to fall back down afterwards. Imogen smiled at him gratefully before turning her attention to the movie.

* * *

Imogen's attention span in a movie never did last too long so it was no surprise when she began looking for something to entertain herself with. She reached into the box of crackers and took a few out, quickly tossing one at Midorima, watching it thunk off of his forehead and fall into his lap. His eyebrow twitched and he slowly turned his head in her direction. She threw another one and snickered when it hit his forehead.

"You shouldn't be wasting your food, Imogen-san, and must you hit me with it?" He asked with a sigh.

Imogen shrugged her shoulders and threw yet another cracker at him, this time the cracker landing in his hair.

Midorima gave an exasperated sigh, picking the snack from his hair and flicking it back at her. She swiftly caught it in her mouth, though that was merely by luck. She snorted, chewing the cracker up before swallowing it.

"Come on, you have to admit, that was pretty smooth," she said, holding her hand up expectantly. Midorima rolled his eyes and shook his head, simply complying to her silent request and giving her a light high five.

Imogen beamed at him, closing up the box and setting it down on the floor.

"Hey, if you win your next match, you'll be going against Rakuzan, given if they win, right?" She asked, looking up to him. Midorima pushed up his glasses and nodded.

"They'll win," he assured, though he seemed to be acting a bit grim.

Imogen hummed. "Then I wish you the best of luck, and don't let Mr. Almighty get to you," she encouraged, shifting so she was sitting up.

She leaned against Midorima and sighed, her gaze straying towards the television, however she was no longer watching the movie. Midorima noticed the shift in her aura, glancing down at her.

"If we make it to the finals and end up going against Rakuzan, Kaijo, or your team again, there's no doubt in my mind that my condition is going to get worse. I wasn't really planning on telling anyone until after the matches, but a few people already know, and I didn't want to keep it from you because you're usually the first person to know, but I'm leaving after the final game to America," she explained quietly, her eyes shifting down to her knee.

The Shutoku student sat in silence, waiting for her to continue.

"Surgery on my knee is already being planned by Hitome-san, she's going to schedule the appointment and let me know the details on the flight and what not," she added, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's a make or break moment, y'know. This decides if I'll be able to continue to play basketball or if our last match in the Winter Cup will also be my last match."

Midorima knew this as well, however he didn't want to dwell on that fact. It was a fifty-fifty situation that she was in, either outcome completely plausible. "Then you'd better play each game to your best ability."

Imogen blinked at the statement, processing his words before nodding in agreement, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, Shin-chan," she said gratefully. Imogen hummed quietly to herself before leaning her head against his shoulder, her eyes falling shut.

"Will you win against Akashi's team, Shin-chan? For me?" She asked softly, "I know I won't be able to do it myself."

Midorima remained silent, uncertain of how to answer. Akashi was a more than formidable opponent so the outcome of a game between himself and the male was unpredictable.

"I will do my best," he finally responded, giving a slight nod of his head, though he knew that Imogen couldn't see it.

"Promise?" The question had caught him off guard, his eyes widening just a fraction.

He gave another small nod, uttering the quiet vow.

 _"I promise, Imogen-san."_

* * *

 **Yay, finally some Midorima time! I love Midorima quite a bit. Anyways! Feedback is always appreciated! xxx**


	12. Chapter 12

_He promised._

* * *

Imogen's smile widened and she was about to thank him before yet again someone knocked on her door.

"Heh? Who is it?" She called out, not bothering to open her eyes or move from her position.

"A-Ah, It's Takao Kazunari, I'm looking for Shin-chan!" The familiar voice resonated in her ears and she snickered.

"Come in!" She called back, listening to the door creak open before clicking shut.

"Sorry to intrude, Daichi-san! Shin-chan told me he was going to visit you, but coach wanted me to come get him after practice. He's got some strategies he wants to go over, which is weird," Takao rambled, wandering over to where they were before noticing how they were sitting.

"Aw, Shin-chan, you're so lucky!" Takao teased, earning a glare from said male.

Imogen snickered and finally opened her eyes to look at their visitor.

"Hello, Takao-san, you're stealing Shin-chan away from me? That's sad, but I suppose if it's necessary," she feigned disappointment, moving so that she wasn't leaning on him anymore.

Takao chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry, Daichi-san," he apologized.

Imogen shook her head and smiled, reaching down and picking up her crutches, using them as she stood up.

"No, it's fine, don't worry about it!" She reassured him, patting his shoulder.

Midorima stood up as well, standing beside the shorter girl.

"I'll see you later, Shin-chan, and remember our promise."

Midorima nodded, turning to leave before arms curled tightly around him, bringing him out of his thoughtful stupor. Takao watched the interaction curiously, deciding he'd ask about it later. Imogen sighed, eventually releasing him and stepping back with a wide smile.

"Thank you for staying with me today, Mido-kun," she added before looking over to Takao.

"It was good to see you again as well, Takao-san, feel free to drop by anytime before the tournaments over."

He wondered why the specified time limit, but didn't question it out loud. Instead, he nodded his head and thanked her before nudging Midorima, who was watching the red-head with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Will do, Daichi-san! We'll see you later, cutie!" Takao announced, tugging Midorima along who sent him a glare and told him to shut up.

Imogen laughed as the two left her apartment, waiting for the door to click shut behind them. She smiled gently, turning off the television and carefully picking the box of crackers up, carrying it to the kitchen. She felt much more relaxed now and fairly calm. Imogen walked to her bedroom, picking up her phone. She dialed Hitome's number and brought the phone to her ear, taking a seat in her desk chair.

"Hello, Imogen-san, how are you feeling?" The concerned voice of her doctor reached her ears and she smiled faintly.

"I'm going to go through with it." This hadn't been an answer to the question asked, but Hitome understood what she meant and gave a relieved sigh.

"Good, I'll set the appointment up and book your flight. I'm looking up flight times right now so we'll see when they have a decent one available," Hitome explained.

The soft sound of tapping could be heard, signalling that Hitome was doing her research.

"Erm...if we book you the earliest flight after the final match of the tournament you're in, it'll be the next morning. I don't know if you'd wa-" Imogen cut her off, her hands shaking slightly.

"That's fine. It'll work. I'll be there for a couple months then, right?" Imogen asked.

"Well, let me think. You'll be there doing some examinations and tests on your legs for about a month before heading into surgery. Recovery will take a couple months, mixed in with some rehabilitation and physical therapy appointments. It won't be a year, but it'll be just a couple months. You don't have to go through with it, but we don't know how long your leg can hold out at the rate you're working," she explained.

Imogen sighed softly and nodded, realizing she couldn't see it.

"It'll be a lot, but I'll do it. I don't want to risk getting to the point where I'll never be able to play again," she mumbled, taking a deep breath.

"Then it's settled. I'll call up your doctor and therapist in America and I'll book your flight," Hitome confirmed.

"Okay, I'm going to let my aunt and uncle know."

With that, they said their goodbyes and hung up. Imogen called up her aunt next and explained the entire situation to her, gladly getting her acceptance of it and offering to come with her, which she had to disagree to. Her aunt was needed here. Now, all that was left was to let the team know.

Imogen got dressed in decent attire, changing into a pair of dark jeans, brown boots, and her team jacket. She struggled, but managed. She grabbed her keys, phone and wallet, stuffing them in her pockets before leaving her apartment. She knew she'd get in trouble for being up, but she wanted to let everyone know so that they didn't get mad at her if she told them at last minute.

Imogen made her way to the gym that she knew everyone was at, or at least she hoped they were. The girl pushed the doors of the gymnasium open once she arrived, catching the attention of the boys and Riko.

"OI! What are you doing here!?" Riko shouted, blowing her whistle.

Imogen flashed her a smile, making her way over to her.

"I just wanted to let you guys know something beforehand," she said, taking a seat on the bench.

"All of you, come here!" Imogen shouted, stopping their practice, much to Riko's irritation, however she was also curious.

* * *

"Alright, so, I spoke with my doctor just a while ago and everything is set in stone," Imogen began, earning a chorus of questions about what she meant.

"I've had plenty of problems with my legs over the past few years, and as the games get more intense, the worse my knees get so... I made the decision to have surgery done. It's a bit of a half-and-half situation, so either the surgery works or it fails. I won't be playing anymore matches unless we make it to the final game and that will be my last game for the next couple months," she explained, rubbing the back of her neck.

"W-Wait, what?! How long are you going to be out?" Koganei asked with wide eyes.

Imogen nearly facepalmed. "A few months." The team looked a bit startled.

"We'll just have to visit you then," Koga added.

Imogen shook her head. "I'll be in America."

Koganei nearly fell over, the others, with the exception of Kuroko, Kiyoshi, Hyuuga, and Riko, stared on with wide eyes.

"Then that leaves one more thing; when are you leaving?" Riko asked, leaning over to her height.

Imogen ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

"The morning after the final match of the Winter Cup."

Riko and the others tensed. "'S-So soon?"

Imogen nodded her head, smiling faintly.

"It's okay though, it's for the best. If I don't do this then I'll probably never be able to play again. When push comes to shove, I'm on the short end of the stick here so anymore damage and that's it," she reasoned.

"I can't believe we won't be seeing you for months though..." Tsuchida mumbled, Koganei and the others nodding in agreement.

"Quit worrying about that and get back to practice! You've got some extremely hard matches coming up, so you need to focus on those. If I find you're slacking off, I'll personally whip you into shape, got that?" Imogen's aura shifted into an intimidating one and the team stood up straight.

"Yes sir!" They all chorused before rushing back into practice, working much harder than before.

"Scary, Imo-chan, too scary," Riko muttered, sighing softly.

Imogen snorted and leaned back slightly.

"It got them to focus on practice. What more could you ask for?"

Riko hummed, deciding she couldn't really argue with that. Imogen set her crutches down on the floor in front of the bench, her eyes narrowed as she watched them practice. She noticed something that was just the slightest bit off with Kagami's stance when he shot. She grabbed a crutch, only needing one for the time being, and made her way over to him, weaving around everyone to get to him.

"Oi, Taiga-san- hope you don't mind me calling you that- your stance is a bit off," she pointed out, setting her crutch down and reaching over, taking the basketball from his hands.

"You're working with your left hand more, which is a great thing, however your arm is too tense. Here, watch," she ordered, barely putting any pressure on her healing leg as she got in formation.

She showed him the better way to hold the ball before following through with a smooth shot.

"Here, try it." Imogen handed the ball back to him, a look of determination set on his face.

He took up the stance she had shown him, however she had to physically tweak it just enough so it'd work. "Now, shoot."

The ball swooped through the hoop, a smile settling on Imogen's face.

"That will also come in handy when you're facing Atsu-kun," she told him, patting his back lightly.

Kagami nodded his head, though he seemed somewhat out of it.

"So you're leaving after the final match?" He asked suddenly, his attention turned to shooting baskets, while he waited for a response.

Imogen nodded, picking her crutch up again.

"Unfortunately, yes, but it's for the best. I mean, come on, I can't have some rookie first years surpassing me, though, if I'm honest, you've already done so," she muttered, pouting.

Kagami chuckled, turning to face her.

"We haven't had a chance have a one-on-one rematch yet so we can't say that for sure. When you're better, we'll have to see who's the best," he teased, resting a hand on the top of her head.

She scrunched her face up.

"Gross, you're hands are sweaty," she whined, swatting at his hand.

He sent her a playful glare, shooing her off.

"You're supposed to be resting, go sit down before you get hurt," he spoke sternly, ushering her back towards the bench.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," she mumbled, waving him away.

"Ah, Imogen-san! Rakuzan has a match today, if you wouldn't mind, could you possibly..." Riko began, drawling out her words a bit.

Imogen's eyes narrowed and she sighed, nodding her head before the young coach could even finish.

"I'll go. When does it start?" Iimogen asked, picking up her other crutch, fixating it under her arm.

"In an hour, I'd assume they're doing warm-ups now," Riko told her.

The girl heaved a sigh before nodding once more.

"Alright, I'll text you the details and anything we have to look out for. I'll do it since I don't have to talk to him at all," she muttered, adjusting her jacket.

"I guess I'll be seeing you all later! Practice hard!" Imogen called out, waving to them before exiting the gym, heading towards the bus station.

There was no way she was walking all of the way. The bus ride was uneventful and quiet, though many of the younger occupants of the bus were discussing who they thought were going to be in the Winter Cup finals.

* * *

" _Rakuzan, without a doubt is going to take the win_ ," one boy said, while another boy shook his head.

 _"I think that Yosen is going to do it!"_

Imogen glanced back at them, noticing one boy was staring at her before he spoke.

 _"I think Seirin has a better chance of taking the Winter Cup this year,_ " he said, glancing back to his friends.

" _Huh?! No way! I mean, sure, they have good defense and offense, but they're no match for Rakuzan!_ "

Imogen sighed and turned in her seat to look over at them.

"You shouldn't underestimate Seirin, they've got as much of a chance at winning as Rakuzan does. Besides, who's to say that Rakuzan will even make it to the finals?"

With that, Imogen stood up as the bus came to a screeching halt, the doors opening wide. The girl thanked the driver before exiting, albeit carefully. The boys rushed off after her, noticing her jacket and nearly crying out in shock as they ran to catch up with her.

"Wait, you're from Seirin! Daichi Imogen, right? You're that chick that played against those harsh schools like Touou and Kirisaki Dai Ichi!" One boy exclaimed.

Imogen gave a polite smile and nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

"Oh wow! You play extremely well! You went to Teiko with the Generation of Miracles, right?" One blonde boy asked, the three walking beside her.

She nodded her head once again.

"Awesome! You're such a good player! You should've joined Rakuzen or even Touou!" The blonde exclaimed.

Imogen 'tsked' and rolled her eyes, heaving a sigh.

"No, I made the right choice going to Seirin. After all, we're going to beat the Generation of Miracles and win the Winter Cup," she stated confidently, walking ahead as the three boys froze in their spot.

Imogen headed into the building structure with the crowd, careful not to run into anyone.

"Hey! Wait up!"

The girl heaved a sigh and moved out of the way of the crowd to wait.

"We're sorry! We didn't mean to offend you or anything, Kisume was just being rude," the brown haired boy apologized, bowing slightly, while the other two followed suit.

"Look, I don't care about that, but I've got to go take notes for the upcoming match," she excused, going to step away.

The blonde, Kisume, reached over and grasped her wrist.

"Can we tag along? I mean, we were going to watch it anyways, but it'd be great to watch it with a pretty girl, not to mention a strong competitor!" Kisume said.

Imogen went tense, tugging her wrist from his grip. It was too similar to the incident with Hanamiya.

She shifted uncomfortably, adjusting her crutches under her arms, "Listen, I-" She was cut off by an arm being draped over her shoulder.

The three boys went pale, and Imogen looked up to see who it was that was scaring them. She perked up and smiled.

"Ao-kun! It's good to see you! I'm surprised you haven't come by and visited me. You know, I've spent the last few days alone. Shin-chan came by today though so that was nice," she explained before glancing back at the boys.

"Ah, anyways, what was I saying? Oh! I mean, I guess you can, but Ahomine-kun can be a bit of a jerk," she said, waving it off with a smile.

The three boys gulped when Aomine sent her a glare, smacking the back of her head. They all shook their heads.

"S-Sorry, w-we've got to meet up with our other friends!" They all stammered before scurrying away.

Imogen breathed out a sigh of relief, turning a bit and looking back to the tan male.

"Thanks," she said before shrugging his arm off and heading towards the gymnasium, Aomine following behind her.

"I'm surprised you're here. It must not be on your own will," he pointed out, looking down at her as they picked their seats.

Imogen shrugged her shoulders.

"Aida wanted me to come and watch the match and then relay any other important information to the team. I didn't have to, so it was on my own will," she retorted, leaning back as she gazed at the two teams warming up.

"So what's the deal with your leg?" He asked, lazily glancing down to the court.

"Eh, not much. I'm having surgery done on it next month, I think," she said, looking over at him.

A smile formed on her lips and she couldn't hide it, which earned her a puzzled look from the boy beside her.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

Imogen shook her head. "I'm just glad that you're back to, well...yourself, I guess," she admitted, rubbing her arm sheepishly.

Aomine scoffed and looked away, however a hint of a blush tinted his cheeks, causing Imogen to smile even wider.

The two turned back as the game began, the regulars entering the court. Imogen watched with slightly narrowed eyes as Akashi walked into the court, lining up with the others to bow before the game commenced.

"Akashi seems annoyed, don't you think?" She asked, noticing he kept glancing up at the stands, seemingly where they were sitting.

Was he looking at them? Imogen shook her head, glancing over to Aomine.

"He knows we're here, I wouldn't be surprised if you're the reason he's annoyed," he commented lazily.

"Oi! That's mean! And anyways, who cares if he's annoyed. It's his problem, not mine," she retorted, smacking the tan boy's shoulder.

"I can't believe you said that, maybe it's _you_ that's annoying him!" She argued childishly.

Aomine glared at her.

"No way in hell, it's _you_!" He bit back.

" _Is not_!"

" _Is too_!"

" _Is not_!"

" _Yes it is_!"

The two bickered until they were hushed by an irritated teenage girl and her friends, who had been gushing over Akashi.

Imogen snickered.

"Sorry, ladies, he's not that impressive," she taunted, and as if the male being mentioned had heard her, a chill shot down her spine and she suddenly felt like she was being watched.

The girls glared daggers at her, listing off things about him that were "amazing".

"He's an amazing player! He's attractive, he's got such a great personality... Oh, and I bet he's so nice!" One girl gushed.

Aomine and Imogen shared an amused look.

"Oh, yeah? Well, two out of those four things are false," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"He's actually a true asshole, and his personality...well what can I say, it speaks for itself," she sneered, puffing her cheeks out.

Aomine snorted and turned away, shaking his head.

"I thought you were going to say that he's not attractive," he admitted.

Imogen shrugged.

"Nah, can't deny that he's not gorgeous because then I'd be lying, but hey, who isn't attractive in the Generation of Miracles. Well...except you, of course," she teased, earning a smack on the back of her head.

"Ow! Ao-kun, that's rude! You can't hit a crippled person," she snapped, pouting like a child.

"Tch. Crippled? Hardly."

Imogen rolled her eyes and nudged him, pointing back to the game, which they had already missed two minutes of.

"Eight to nothing? Damn, Rakuzan's not letting up and it's only three minutes in," she muttered, watching as they scored another three pointer.

"He's not even using it," she grumbled, tapping her chin, "Of course, he probably won't need to unless things actually become challenging for him, which is unlikely enough as it is."

"You shouldn't talk to yourself, it's a sign that you're going insane," Aomine commented.

Imogen sent him a glare.

"I was talking to you, dumbass," she retorted, smacking him again.

The girls from earlier turned around again.

"Excuse me, are you two dating or something?" One asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Imogen snickered and began to shake her head, however Aomine decided to respond, " _Absolutely_."

Imogen's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"What the hell, Ahomine!? No we're not! Don't mind him, he's being an ass," she said, waving away the girls.

The girls giggled to each other, about to comment before a cellphone began to ring. Not recognizing the blaring ringtone, which sounded similar to that of a warning alarm, Imogen pulled out her phone and checked the ID. Immediately, she tensed.

 _This would be interesting._

* * *

 ** _Hello! I'm back! Did ya' miss me? Well, here's chapter 12. I hope you like it so far, once I get through Winter Cup, I'll break off from the show and just do my own thing. So far, who would you like to see end up with her? It's a Gen. x Oc so anyone could be it. Anyways, feedback would be much appreciated! It helps me write faster and stay motivated! xx_**


	13. Chapter 13

Imogen denied the call and stuffed the phone back into her pocket, slinking down in her seat. Aomine stared at her strangely, as if waiting for her to explain.

"Unknown number," she lied, shrugging her shoulders.

They turned their attention back to the game, actually enjoying it for a while. At least until fourth quarter came to a close and Imogen's phone began to blare again.

"Ah, I've got to take this," she murmured before moving onto her feet, retrieving her crutches and hitting 'accept call' on her phone.

She moved outside of the stands and into the empty hallway, aside from a few people wandering about.

"What?" The question came out much more rude than she had meant it to.

"That's not proper etiquette, Imogen. Speak like a decent lady."

The scolding ticked her off, her eyebrow twitching.

"Why did you call me?" Imogen asked, "especially after how many years?"

The girl received a scoff from the other end of the line.

"Do not speak to me in such a way! Anyways, my dear, I have been informed that you plan on getting surgery done, correct?"

"Yeah, what of it?" She retorted bitterly

"Well, if you want to be able to afford it, I'm going to need you to come home for a couple days. Your father is hosting a few business parties consecutively, and we need

our 'prime' and 'prestige' daughter at the party to make a good impression on the bosses sons'," her mother chimed in, almost too sweetly.

"Good impressions can lead to higher social standings and for you, well... possible marriage?" Her mother spoke with distaste, as if it were too good to be true.

"Hell no. I've got things to do that I can't miss," Imogen snapped.

"Well then that means no surgery. I am the one paying for it after all. Your oba-san and oji-san can't afford all of that payment as well as your

rent too, so you either do it, or you can forget the surgery," her mother coaxed, her voice light and airy as if they were discussing the weather.

"You can't do that!" Imogen nearly yelled, her temper flaring.

Her mother laughed tauntingly. "Ah, but I can, and you will. Your ride is outside the stadium now. Don't keep us waiting."

With that, the phone call ended and Imogen fumed. She couldn't just leave like that! She couldn't miss the games!

* * *

Imogen walked back inside as the game had ended, Rakuzan winning.

"Daiki. I've got to go, I'll text you later. Something came up," she mumbled before leaving the stands again, this time exiting the stadium entirely.

She didn't want anyone to worry about her. She couldn't tell Aomine, he knew about the bad relationship between her and her parents and he'd only stop her from going. Imogen had to have this surgery, otherwise she'd be ripped from her passion.

The girl made her way to the familiar, black SUV, opening the door herself and slipping inside. Two familiar faces greeting her with sly smiles.

"Ah, Imo, dear, it's so good to see you," her father greeted, his tone filled with nothing, but malice and hatred.

Who could blame them? Their own daughter had nearly tarnished their reputation, which they then had to work harder to uphold.

"Don't address me so familiarly, Daichi," she sneered, using their surname, which she unfortunately shared with them.

"Do not be so disrespectful to your father! Remember what is at stake here," her mother cut in, sending her an irritated glare.

Imogen huffed and leaned back in her seat, glaring out the window as they left the parking lot of the stadium and headed to the Daichi manor. Immediately, Imogen was thrown into a whirlwind of strict orders and hatred. The last text she had received was from Aomine before her phone was

taken and stored in the vault until the parties were over.

 _That was how Imogen Daichi had gone missing._

* * *

It had been two days and no one had seen or heard from Imogen. The Seirin basketball team had been thrown into a bit of a panic when Kiyoshi had gone to Imogen's to see how she was doing the day after she had gone to Rakuzan High's match. Only to find out that she hadn't been there, and so Kiyoshi figured she had been out, but then they had checked the next day as well, and she was still nowhere to be seen. Riko and Kuroko had both texted her, receiving no response before turning to those of the Generation of Miracles.

Aomine didn't know where was either, though he did tell them that she said something had come up before she left.

The information spread to the other members, but none of them had any whereabouts either. Kise had gone into an obvious panic, Midorima was obviously worried too, however he didn't make it quite as evident, as did Murasakibara. On the other hand, Akashi didn't bother replying to anyone's texts, aside from Midorima's. He simply replied that he had no concern for where she was.

"We can't worry about this right now, I'll keep trying to get a hold of her, please continue practicing," Riko ordered firmly, blowing her whistle before the boys began running back and forth in the gymnasium.

Riko pulled out her phone and sent Imogen another text, about the tenth one from her alone.

 **'Imogen, did we do something wrong? The whole team is worried about you, everyone is actually.'**

With the message sent, all she could do was wait for a response.

However, it never came, and as the boys all retired for the night, they had an immense amount of worry placed over them, not only the disappearance

of their friends, but also the Yosen match that was the following day. Not a single member was able to get even an hour of sleep.

* * *

Imogen had been forced into a white, lace dress that stopped just slightly past mid-thigh for the third time that week. Heels had been shoved onto her feet and her hair had been tugged into a fancy updo, her crutches shoved into a locked room as well. Her leg was killing her and the strain was absolutely horrible. Her mother claimed that there was no need for her to use the crutches- to put it simply, they were unsightly.

Imogen wanted to strangle the woman before her, but she reminded herself that this was to pay for her surgery, which she was positive she would need after all of this straining of her leg.

"Ah, you look decent enough, get downstairs and greet everyone with a smile," her mother ordered, pushing her out of the room and towards the staircase.

She forced on a smile, albeit slightly pained, as she took careful steps down the stairs. The loud chattering of people reached her ears and she wanted to scream at them to shut up. She wanted to go home, not spend her entire night talking with people she cared less about. Her parents had already paid for everything ahead of time, this was because Imogen had demanded it so that they couldn't back down at last minute, but it also meant she had to follow through with her end of the deal.

Three nights spent socializing with different people, and only two more to go. She wouldn't make it back for the match with their next opponent if Seirin beat Yosen, but she would be back that night and in time for the final match if they won that match as well. Imogen knew she was thinking too far ahead, but she missed everyone. She couldn't wait to see their faces again, to be able to be in their presence again. She looked forward to it.

* * *

By the time Imogen had managed to get to sleep, it was already early morning and time for her to start preparing for the party that would be tomorrow night rather than that night. It was more of a business gathering than a party, but she still had to be shown off as a prime daughter with proper manners and a sweet face. She decided that sleeping in wouldn't kill her, so she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off into a deep sleep for the first time in what seemed to be forever.

 _"Daichi Imogen!_ Get up this instant!" A shout shrilled in her ears, her body jolting awake.

She groggily sat up, rubbing at her eyes.

"What a disgrace! Sleeping in when you should be up cleaning the house! Look at you, you're a mess!" Her mother shrieked, pointing a finger at her.

Imogen blinked away the rest of her sleep.

"I was just getting some extra rest, I haven't slept in the past two days," she argued, waving them away.

"You ungrateful, little... I can't believe you're my daughter! I raised this mess of a human-being?" She hissed, walking over and roughly pulling Imogen from her bed.

The girl suddenly feared what would happen as she had never seen her mother this angry. She took medication for her anger issues, but it seemed like she'd forgotten today, or maybe she didn't take them anymore. Her mother's grip was painful on her wrist as she was forced up onto her feet.

"Stand straight!" She snapped.

Imogen's body stiffened up, a sudden smack stinging the skin of her arm.

"Ow! What the fuck? Go take your god damn medication!" Imogen sneered, rubbing the reddening spot.

Her mother's frown deepened.

"You sniveling little brat! Do not order me to do anything! You've caused me so many problems from the second you were born! We struggled for a while financially because of you, having to waste our money on taking care of you! We'd have been much better off without having to waste our money on affairs such as yourself," she snarled, causing Imogen to wince.

"We tried so hard to raise you properly, as a true lady, and you turn out to be this...this commoner scum! A disgrace to the Daichi name. Why are you here? Your surgery is paid for and I can't stand to look at you another second! Get out! _Get out, get out, GET OUT_!" Her mother screamed, shoving her roughly towards the door.

Imogen nearly stumbled, her eyes narrowing down on her mother.

"Why? Why didn't you ever love me? Why was I treated like I was a mere bill to be paid? You hated me when I was a baby, and then acted like I was your personal slave and when I refused to do as you said, you got pissed off and took your anger out on me! You and father! If I did one little thing wrong! It was a smack on the cheek and a night of no dinner for me! You never allowed Oba-san or Oji-san around because you feared that they'd turn you in for the way you treated me! And these past few days! You forced me into this bullshit and at this point, I can't fucking feel anything in my leg! Paying for my surgery is the only decent thing you've done for me, and even then it was for a price! You two are fucking despicable and I will not hesitate to tarnish your name because after these past three days, I refuse to associate myself with the likes of you two," Imogen snarled out, her fists clenched.

She was livid, and rightfully so.

"I am Imogen _Eiji_ , and if you ever call me again, I will go to the police and report everything that you've ever done to me, and that inheritance will go straight to me. I could pay oba-san back with that money, and even be able to support my basketball team with it too, remember that," she threatened, gritting her teeth.

Her mother's eyes widened before narrowing, her face contorting into an expression that no one had seen before. It was a look of pure, unadulterated fury. A hand raised and before Imogen could react, a strong stinging sensation spread across her face. A red welt had already begun to form.

"Get out of my house."

Imogen didn't wait for her to say it again. She quickly retrieved her crutches and unlocked the vault, grabbing her cellphone before leaving the house and heading down the road to where she knew a bus stop was. Her face hurt and her eyes stung from tears. What had she done to deserve this? She sat on the bench of the bus stop and pulled out her phone, checking the numerous amounts of texts from everyone. Twelve from Riko and the team, eight from Kuroko, sixteen from Kagami and Aomine, ten from Midorima and Murasakibara, and twenty from Kise. She also had around twenty missed calls. She sniffled as she read through a few of the texts.

' **Imogen, everyone's worried sick about you. What happened? -** ** _Riko_**.'

 **'Imocchi, you really need to come back! I don't think I've ever seen Kurokocchi or Midorimacchi so worried! Kagamicchi is also really worried! He seems mad that** ** _you've_** **just disappeared! Everyone misses you! -** ** _Kise_** '

 **'Please call when you can, the match is about to start between Yosen and Seirin, and everyone wants you here! Are you okay? -** ** _Riko_** _'_

 **'Oi, where did you run off to? You can't just disappear like that. -** ** _Aomine_**.'

She'd gone through all of the texts before one more popped up on her screen, thoroughly surprising her.

 **'Your disappearance has caused an upset here, and it is certainly annoying. I have been receiving numerous calls and texts asking if I have heard from you. Do not mistake my irritance for concern. Go home, Daichi.** **-** ** _Akashi'_**

Imogen blinked at the text, rolling her eyes in frustration before deleting it. She called up her oba-san and asked her to come pick her up before going home. Physically and mentally exhausted.

* * *

 _ **Hello! I'm back! I went through some stuff in my personal life so I couldn't find time to update, but here you go. This was kind of a filler in a way, but it plays an important part in this story.**_

 _ **Eiji, as she calls herself, is referring to her aunt and uncle's last name.**_

 _ **Anyway, some feedback would be nice! Hope you're all enjoying this story. Tell me who you'd like to see her paired with, even if they haven't interacted much yet.**_

xxxH


	14. Chapter 14

Imogen spent the next two days in the guest room of her aunt and uncle's home, sleeping or moping around. She'd received a few more texts and calls, but she never answered. She was emotionally drained at that point and she hated herself for missing two of the Seirin's matches. She had been informed that Seirin had beat Yosen and even Kaijo, and that Rakuzan had taken their wins as well. Now it would be Rakuzan vs. Seirin, and Imogen wasn't sure if she even wanted to see the match.

She hadn't been in contact with anyone, and with only two days left until she had to leave for America, she wasn't sure she even wanted to face them. Imogen was sure they'd hate her for bailing on them like that, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything about it.

At least not until her aunt came into her room one day and lectured her ears off about how disappointed her teammates would be to see that she wasn't there for them.

"They all love you! Can you imagine how they're feeling right now? Quit wallowing in self-pity and go see the before you regret it!"

Imogen had then forced herself out of bed, removing the icepack from her leg, which had been doing a bit better since the amount of rest she had gotten over the past few days. She reluctantly got dressed, stuffing her phone into her pocket and using one crutch to support her as she walked out of the house and to the car, her aunt following after her.

"Kuroko-san had called a few times. I informed him that you were home, and that you were okay. Please don't let what Hajima said get to you. You are worth more than you were told, and I'm glad you're around. Remember our deal? I'd continue to take care of you as long as you pursued your passion. Do that for me, alright?" Her aunt requested softly as she drove.

Imogen cracked a small smile for the first time since the big fight between her mother and her, the words had engraved themselves into her mind and she couldn't help, but let it get to her. Imogen rubbed at her cheeks as the tears began to fall, hissing when her hand swiped the slowly healing welt on her face. She couldn't do anything right according to her mother.

She made mistakes over the simplest things, and now she had been causing the others to worry about her when they had an important match before them.

Imogen slowly nodded her head. "Alright, I promise, oba-san, thank you," she murmured.

* * *

They had stopped at the school's gymnasium, Imogen taking a moment to relax and calm herself before thanking her aunt once more and exiting the car. She took a deep breath to hold down her emotions.

She was a mess, admittedly so, but she couldn't deny that seeing her boys' would help her recover. She made her way to the gymnasium and heard the familiar sound of shoes squeaking against the court.

Imogen closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly. Then she stepped inside.

As if time itself had stopped, the gym instantly went silent. Imogen closed her eyes and braced herself for the scolding she was sure to receive for her disappearance, however she instead felt arms wrap tightly around her, pulling her into a warm, and slightly sweaty hold.

"Imogen-san..." the voice instantly calmed her, however her emotions flooded and she curled her arms tightly around the thin frame of her friend.

"I-I'm so, so s-sorry..." she breathed out, her voice shaky and wavering.

"I-I didn't k-know you'd all b-be so concerned... I-I'm okay..." she murmured, hiding her face in his chest.

Kuroko eventually let go of her and held her back by her shoulders. She looked almost ill. And the mark on her cheek was a good indication of why.

"Imogen-san. Where have you been?" He asked, though he had a fairly decent assumption.

He watched Imogen's head drop, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Hajime's..." she mumbled, her arms hanging limply at her sides.

Kuroko nodded his head about to respond when a large hand dropped onto her head, ruffling her hair. The two looked up to see who it was. Kagami, of course, while the team was standing behind him. He noticed the welt almost instantly, and with the way his eyes narrowed, Kuroko was sure he'd have a fit.

"Oi, who did this? Where have you been? Who's Hajim-." Before he could continue, Kuroko had flicked his forehead and swatted his hand away.

Imogen laughed faintly before stepping away from both of them.

"Hajime is...my mother.. That's where I've been...and that's who did this," she answered, tucking her head down and rubbing the back of her neck.

She felt uncomfortable disclosing that kind of information with anyone, but they deserved to know. Especially since she had disappeared on them for a while and missed two of their most important matches.

"Anyways... I'm really sorry that I went missing like that. She called me when I was at the Rakuzan match and she said that if I came with her for the week...she'd pay for my surgery. So, I stayed with her and basically had to cater and socialize with business people. She and Daisu locked away my phone and my crutches, but I left a few days ago after we fought. I've been at my aunt's for the past few days letting my legs heal. They're much better now, I'll be all set to play in the match against Rakuzan tomorrow, if you'll let me," she requested quietly.

Riko stepped up, as did Hyuuga and Kiyoshi, who both slung their arms around her shoulders and grinned.

"If you're up for it then absolutely. You know Akashi much better than we do, and we're going to need all the help we can get," she said, smiling at her.

Imogen grinned, thanking her.

"Welcome back, Mo'," Hyuuga and Kiyoshi spoke simultaneously.

Imogen groaned, nearly falling over. "Please don't call me that, I beg of you."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Aw, Mo'-chan, don't be so mean," Izuki joined in.

Eventually the others did too, chanting the annoying nickname and watching as the girl glowered and whined before she pushed them away.

"You guys are too cruel to me," she mumbled.

"Now! Get back to practice! I'll be joining the practice, but I still can't do much running and it's best to preserve my legs until tomorrow, so I'll be working on shooting," Imogen explained, turning to Riko.

"Um, you don't happen to have a pair of clothes I can change into? I didn't bring mine," she explained, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.

Riko hummed before gesturing towards the girls locker room. "There's a spare pair of shorts and sneakers in my bag, but I don't have a shirt."

Imogen smiled. "That'll work, I can just wear my tank top that I have on. Thank you!" She said, making her way to the locker room.

She leaned the crutches against the lockers and found Riko's bag, pulling out the shorts and sneakers before getting changed. She slipped off her hoodie, leaving her in her loose muscle tee. She adjusted her knee brace before taking a cautious step, relieved when it didn't cause any pain in her leg. Imogen returned to the gym, watching as the boys ran laps. She sat down on the side of the court and did a few stretches, mainly working out her injured leg so she could avoid any further injury.

Imogen hummed quietly as she waited for the others to finish their laps before standing up and going to the ball cart. Picking out a ball, she began to dribble it, getting used to the feeling of it beneath her fingertips again. It was such a relief to be able to be on court again. However, that feeling of relief wasn't going to last long.

* * *

Imogen woke up much later than she had intended. She jolted from bed and threw on her sweatpants and team jacket, throwing her hair up in a very disheveled bun. She grabbed her bag and pulled on her sneakers before calling a goodbye to her aunt, who she had been staying with until it was time to leave the next day. She left the house and walked to the bus stop, taking a bus to the stadium.

The team was already there, waiting outside for, presumably, her. She waved as she walked up to them, apologizing for how late she was.

"I slept in a bit, sorry!" She exclaimed with a slight bow.

The boys stared at her for a moment, their faces, excluding Kuroko's, tinted red as they eyed her entire figure.

"Can you imagine waking up to her like this every morning?" Koganei asked in what he most likely thought was a whisper to his teammates.

Imogen's face went a bright red before a scowl settled. "Shut the hell up! Sheesh, you're all so embarrassing..." she mumbled, shaking her head and walking ahead.

"Come on, ladies, time to kick some ass!"

The boys cheered, following after their coach and teammate. Everyone headed to the assigned locker room, preparing for the match.

Imogen's phone buzzed in her pocket as Riko discussed the strategy. She snuck a quick glance, immediately noticing the name. Her eyes narrowed a bit and she stepped forward, leaning towards Riko and whispering something before receiving a nod in response. She exited the room and headed down the hallway, excusing herself as she weaved through the entering crowds of people. She stopped near the vending machine at the opposite end of the corridor, where there was someone waiting for her.

"Akashi." Imogen greeted with the slightest bow of her head.

The two seemed to stare at each other with narrowed gazes before he finally spoke up. "You're injured."

Imogen hummed before shaking her head. "No, I'm fine. If I weren't, I wouldn't be here to kick your ass."

This certainly irritated the boy, however he brushed it off.

"Your incompetence is truly showing, Daichi. Perhaps you have gotten this far, but that will do nothing to benefit you in this match. No matter the spirit or physical abilities that you or your teammates possess. In this world, winning is everything. Winners are affirmed completely and losers are denied. I've never lost at anything before and I never will. Because I always win and I am always right. I show no mercy to those who oppose me."

Imogen quirked a brow and hummed.

"That was certainly a mouthful. How long have you been practicing that one?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Listen here, you asked me to meet up with you and I did, but if you're just going to spout the same shit you always do then I'm leaving. Ah, and Akashi, you're about to be shown just how wrong you are. By the time the final whistle blows, you'll be the one who realizes that you can't win at everything."

With that, she turned to walk a way, a hand clasping tightly around her wrist.

She turned to snap at who she thought was Akashi, however, found that it was Kagami instead.

"Come on, we've got to get ready," he said, pulling her along.

Imogen glanced back to the spot Akashi had once been standing in before heaving a quiet sigh and following after her teammate. The two made their way to the locker rooms, the boys already changed into their uniforms, Riko explaining the strategy.

Imogen dropped her bag beside her feet and rummaged through it for her uniform. She tossed a towel to Hyuuga, requesting that he and Riko held it up while she changed so that she wouldn't have to change in the small space of the girls restroom. The two agreed, one red-faced, as they unfolded the towel and held it in front of her, looking away while the other boys' faces turned dark red.

Imogen quickly changed, neatly folding her clothes and taking the towel.

"Thank you," she said, stuffing everything back into her bag.

She adjusted her knee brace and stood up straight, resting her hands on her hips.

 _"Let's do this!"_

* * *

 ** _Hello! Sorry for the delay, I tend to take longer when I'm busy or just don't have the motivation to write. Feedback always helps! Out of everyone in the Generation of Miracles + Kagami, who do you want to see her with? xxx_**


	15. Chapter 15

_"Seirin, member change!"_

Imogen perked up from her spot on the bench, anxious to play. They were nearing the end of quarter two and things were chaotic on court. Riko had yet to put her in, which was quite irritating to Imogen. Every time she looked to Akashi, he had a look on his face as if saying 'you can't even make it on court, let alone face me'. Imogen was getting mad. She was prepared to go when her name wasn't called. She growled, her hands gripping the bench.

"Rik-" She was interrupted with a towel draping over her head. She glanced over at Kuroko, who had just been benched for a bit.

"Calm down. He'll be able to read you if you're mad," Kuroko said, patting her back.

"I'm not mad, I just said some things to Akashi and it seems like I'm being cowardice by not playing," she retorted, pulling the towel from her head.

"You'll get to play, Imogen-san," he reassured her, taking his towel back and wiping away the sweat.

Imogen watched the match anxiously once again, noting how Kagami's aura had changed, and his plays were on an entirely different level as the game progressed. It was certainly interesting, but it wasn't over. The true trump card hadn't even been released yet, and when it did...the game would certainly change.

Five minutes left of the third quarter, Riko stood up, requesting a member change. The whole bench, from both teams, could sense a strong aura radiating from Imogen. Her legs had stopped bouncing out of anxiety and her face held a tranquil expression to it. The Seirin first years nearly jumped off of the bench when she calmly stood up, adjusting her ponytail before walking over to Riko. She switched out with Izuki, the moment her foot stepped onto the court, those on the court turned to look at her.

"Uh, is it safe to play with a girl? I mean, I don't mind going easy on her, but still..." The blonde from Rakuzan, Hayama, spoke up. Akashi stepped forward.

"Do not underestimate her, you will regret it the moment you let your guard down around her." Hayama tensed, glancing back to the girl.

"Is she really that much of an opponent?"

"She was part of the first string at Teiko, potentially a member of the Generation of Miracles, it is not wise to think lowly of her," Akashi spoke calmly, though a crazed look finally expressed itself. Hayama and Nebuya stared at Akashi before sharing a glance.

Imogen stretched for a few seconds before getting into position. They wouldn't even know what had hit them the second the whistle blew. The only one even remotely capable of marking her was Akashi Seijuro, yet even then, they would have to worry about Kuroko and Kagami, as well as the other second years. Seirin was a threat, and Rakuzan knew it.

The split second the whistle blew, signalling the game to resume, Imogen was gone from her spot just as the others were beginning to move.

"No way! She was gone the second the game started! How is that even possible?" Hayama asked, moving to his mark.

Mibuchi had gotten the ball, preparing to shoot, however Hyuuga was there. Mibuchi seemed to smirk just the slightest as Hyuuga began to fall much faster than he was, however his moment of smugness ended the second it had begun.

Before him was Imogen, her arms outstretched to block the ball, which he had no choice, but to release. Her grin turned malicious and she snatched it, landing back on her legs with a thud before quickly vanishing from their sight. Seirin and Rakuzan stood dumbfounded as Imogen was walking towards them calmly, the ball rolling away. What had happened?

They glanced to the scoreboard and gaped. "She scored!?"

Imogen was already back in her starting position, staring dully at Rakuzan. Kuroko and Akashi gazed at her. They'd never seen this side of her, but perhaps she had never been so determined to win? That wasn't true, she was always determined, so what was it? Why was this new strength suddenly unveiled now? How was her leg even handling this much stress?

The game continued, Rakuzan careful to keep the ball away from Imogen, however that only resulted in them not paying as much attention to the others, Kagami managing to score some points as well. The two teams were both fighting to win. Nebuya went to pass the ball to Hayama, only for a hand to simply reach out and stop it. Imogen snickered and shook her head, calmly dribbling the ball towards their basket. Hayama raced to stop her, halting directly in front of her.

"Not this time!" He exclaimed.

She sent him a sweet smile before she was gone from his sight, leaving him gaping.

"Tch. You're right, you're not stopping me this time either," she retorted as she walked once again away from him, the other Rakuzan members moving to catch up.

Seirin felt uneasy. Imogen was too calm, too sure of herself. They could only watch as her next match up was with none other than Akashi.

The two stood still, watching each other warily. The arena had gone silent, the only sound was the ball bouncing off of the court.

"Akashi. I must admit that I am impressed with your skill, but there are only ten seconds of this quarter left. I'm about to score, and what will you do?" She questioned, taking the ball in her hands. "I am afraid to say that my leg cannot take much more of this, so I will show you now that you are not absolute, nor are you always right. Akashi Seijuro, you cannot read my movements, so I've told you what I'm going to do, however you cannot stop me."

With those final words, she moved to jump, Akashi quickly following her. Imogen's smirk widened and she dropped back to the floor, stepping aside Akashi, who was just beginning to descend from his jump, and shooting, the ball swishing into the hoop just as the buzzer signaled the end of quarter three. Imogen's conscious seemed to return, her cold demeanor dropping the second her feet touched the ground.

Her leg gave in and she dropped to a knee, heaving a sigh.

"Imogen! Are you ok-"

"I'm fine. We've got to win," Imogen said quietly, pushing herself up to her feet again. Akashi stood by quietly, watching his former teammate through narrowed eyes. She had improved and he had, admittedly, underestimated her. Though, he hadn't seen this type of strength from her, and nor did he expect it, especially with how risky it was for her to even be playing at this level of intensity. The game then resumed.

* * *

Throughout the entire quarter, Akashi had been continuously stopped and scored on. It was obviously frustrating him. The score was 92-90, Rakuzan in the lead. With a little over five minutes left of the final quarter, each team resting up from the time out. Imogen was quiet, and eerily so. No one had dared to bother her, as she had been seemingly quite cold since the fourth quarter began. Kuroko had insisted she step out of the match and let the rest of them take care of it, but she had given him a look that he hadn't seen. It was similar to a look Akashi, the "absolute" side of him, would have given, but he said no more. She was determined to win.

Something in Akashi had snapped, and Imogen sensed it as soon as he had stepped back onto the court. Her head tilted to the side, eyes narrowing down on him. Was he...? He couldn't be. There was no way. The time out drew to a close and Rakuzan had the ball to start, more specifically Akashi. With Kagami in the zone, and Imogen- well she wasn't in the zone quite yet, but let the gates of hell open if she ever was- in a heavily determined state, Seirin stood a chance against them. Kagami braced himself to stop Akashi, but something had changed and the shorter of the two managed to pivot around him, right to Kuroko.

That is when Imogen's suspicions were confirmed. So he had returned. Just when she thought he would have broke past Kuroko, he passed the ball to Mibuchi.

"No... Hyuuga, stop him!" Imogen called out, already running from her mark to where the two stood. She wasn't going to let them score more points.

By the time she had made it, Mibuchi had already released the ball, letting it fall into the hoop. Bracing herself to skid to a halt, her leg wouldn't move forward and she stumbled forward.

To her luck, Hyuuga reached out and grabbed her before she could fall.

"Imogen-san!" She raised a hand to silence him. "I'm okay, I just lost my footing," she assured him, smiling up at him to hide the lie she had just told.

Her leg had gone weak- numb even- and she couldn't help, but wonder to herself why this was happening now. Hyuuga sent her a skeptic look before letting her go, patting her back.

"Alright. Be careful," he told her before getting back into position. Imogen followed suit. Those who paid close enough attention could notice the strange, off-set way she was walking back to her mark, as if she was hesitant to use her right leg, the leg with the brace on it.

Hell had initially broke lose, the teams were scoring back and forth, but it didn't end there. Rakuzan was in the Zone. Seirin was screwed if they couldn't find a way to combat the sudden rise in offense and

defense levels from Rakuzan, and Imogen knew this far too well.

Things got even worse. Nebuya managed to score an alley oop, and Kagami, his time in the Zone was up. Imogen's, however, hadn't even begun. Hayama managed to get his hands on the ball, but Kuroko was quick to stop it, even if it was by a foul.

Everyone on the Seirin team stood, panting breathlessly. Hope was slowly fading in Imogen, her frustration beginning to get to her.

"GO FOR IT, KUROKO! DON'T GIVE UP!" Someone from the stands shouted, catching our attention.

"Ogiwara-kun..." Imogen walked up to Kuroko, standing beside him.

"He came?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. What the boys had done to Ogiwara during that match was unacceptable, cruel even, and she had tried to talk to him, to comfort him in some way after the game, apologizing profusely, but he said he couldn't accept the apology. He told her it wasn't her fault, she played no part in what had happened, but she still felt guilty, even to this day.

"IMOGEN-CHAN, DON'T DISAPPOINT ME. I STILL PLAN ON BEING YOUR BOYFRIEND!" He yelled out. Imogen turned red, her fists clenching.

" _I'M NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND_!" She yelled back, raising a fist to him threateningly. She watched tears fall from Kuroko's eyes, her smile widening just the slightest.

"SHE'S NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND! AND DAMN IT, TETSU, KAGAMI! YOU GUYS WON AGAINST US, DIDN'T YOU? IF YOU CAN'T EVEN DEFEAT RAKUZAN, I'LL GO AFTER YOUR HEADS!" Aomine joined in, drawing their attention to him.

Imogen's hopes were beginning to rise, her determination levels exceeding what they had been previously. Kise and Midorima even piped up too. Murasakibara- well, you really couldn't expect him to join in.

The stadium was cheering as well, pushing Seirin's spirits back up.

"Oh, this just gets my blood going!" Imogen exclaimed, grinning at everyone. Kagami turned to them.

"Can I get a minute?" They gathered up to listen, Imogen's leg bouncing at the idea he had then suggested. He was going to take on Akashi. Imogen wanted to counter and take him on herself, however she knew that this was what was for the best; she trusted him.

While Rakuzan's passes were fast, Seirin's defense wouldn't budge one bit. Once again Hayama had the basketball, jumping to dunk it, however Kagami and Hyuuga both jumped when he attempted a double clutch. Imogen grinned and stood nearby. Kagami got the ball and Imogen began walking backwards. Kagami moved to pass her, while Rakuzan raced to catch up to him. It was a second too late when they realized that he didn't have the ball, but Imogen did. Imogen turned, weaving past Mibuchi when he tried to stop her. Hayama stood up ahead, Akashi and Nebuya beside him.

"She won't make it!" Koganei called out from the bench. Imogen snickered, her eyes flickering.

"She... Imogen's back in the Zone," Riko mumbled, watching the match with narrowed eyes. This was too intense, but there was hope now.

Imogen ran straight for Hayama, who was grinning confidently. She glanced to his legs, noticing that they were too far apart, which would benefit her. She sent a look to Kuroko, causing Hayama's attention to turn to him for a split second. Imogen dropped down, holding the ball in her hand and swiftly slipped in between the male's legs, passing the ball to Kuroko who directed it back to Kagami. The crowd roared in excitement. Rakuzan watched as she stood up with wide, unbelieving eyes. They snapped out of it quickly and tried to stop Kagami and Kuroko.

It was impossible at that point. Kagami had entered the true Zone. Perhaps Imogen had too, the two of them were working at a fast pace back and forth around the opposing team. They weren't working by themselves, they were operating as a true team. That is why they were able to enter. It was also the same reason that Aomine was unable to. Imogen was blocked once again, the ball having been passed to her. She looked around for an opening, finding one in between Hayama and Nebuya. Sending them a smirk, she pushed the ball through the gap and manueavered herself around them when they turned to look. She dribbled the ball again and seemingly disappeared from their sight. She was soon found next to Kagami again, the ball in his hands as he jumped and dunked the ball.

Time ticked down to about 40 seconds, and Imogen was surprisingly calm. Even after Akashi had managed to make a basket. She was bouncing in her spot quite a bit, shaking her hands slightly, almost as if she was about to be in a boxing match. Strange behavior on her part, but she soon stopped, seemingly much calmer and more focused. Now it was a true battle. And boy did Imogen love battles. Especially when everything was at risk.

"Guys. This may be my last match, I'm not letting them win. Fight until the very end!" She exclaimed, her voice overpowering Akashi's as he shouted to stop them from scoring anymore.

"Let the true battle begin," she breathed out, starting off with the ball.

They had no time to spare, seconds ticking away. Kagami was being double teamed, she had no choice, but to pass it to Kiyoshi, who was being marked by Nebuya. Kiyoshi had passed it to Hyuuga, but Mibuchi was directly on him.

"Captain!" Kuroko called. Kuroko received the ball and completed a lateral long pass to Kagami, giving him the perfect time to shoot it.

Imogen grinned, taking a deep breath and remaining calm as the play had begun with Rakuzan. She knew what would happen, a shot would be forced out from them and that was when they would take their chance. They had to.

 _Twelve seconds left._ Still no move she could make.

 _Eleven seconds left._ Nothing.

 _Ten seconds._ They passed it!

She instantly turned, reaching out and tipping the ball away from Nebuya.

"RUN!" She called out before making her way down the court. Imogen's adrenaline was high as she moved, she was nearly skipping her way down the court.

Imogen was quickly blocked, forcing her to pass to Hyuuga. Mibuchi seemed to have panicked and jumped too early, Hyuuga following moments after resulting in a foul on Mibuchi's behalf. Imogen heaved a sigh of relief as the ball went in the hoop, the basket counting.

Everyone lined up, preparing for a rebound if Hyuuga happened to miss. Imogen was ready to get a rebound if she had to, but knowing Kiyoshi's situation, she wanted him to do it. She wanted him to have this play. Hyuuga shot and Imogen's eyes narrowed in on the ball, it would miss, but Kiyoshi would surely get it. Imogen backed off to give him room, the air battle between Nebuya and Kiyoshi, Teppei coming out as the victor.

"KIYOSHI!" She shouted in encouragement.

He passed the ball to Kuroko, and time was down to a single second as Akashi blocked him. Imogen smiled and stepped to the side, already running towards the basket. Kuroko finally released the ball, the pass falling into her hands, she sent a grin to Kagami and jumped, pushing the ball up into the air enough for him to force it through the hoop. The two landed back onto the floor as the final whistle blew.

 _They did it_. They had beat Rakuzan...and _won the Winter Cup._ The crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer, Seirin celebrating as the announcer revealed their win. Seirin shouted triumphantly, tears brimming in their eyes. They ran at Kagami, tackling him to the floor. Kiyoshi even going as far as lifting Riko up into the air. Imogen jumped onto Hyuuga, her arms wrapping around him tightly. He spun her around a few times, grinning down at her.

"We did it, Junpei!" She exclaimed in excitement. Hyuuga's grin widened and he carefully put her down. Her right leg caved in, however she couldn't be bothered by it, instead balancing on her left leg.

"Are you okay?" He asked, calming down a bit from the excitement. She laughed and nodded.

"Don't worry about me, just the adrenaline wearing off. I'll be alright," she assured him, tightly hugging him again.

"We really did it," she breathed out, her smile never faltering. She eventually let him go so he could celebrate with the others, while she caught up to Kuroko, slinging an arm around his shoulder for support.

"Kuroko, I'm so proud of you," she said, watching his head turn to look at her. His cheeks tinted red and he smiled.

"Thank you, Imogen-san. You were great today," Tetsuya responded, wrapping an arm around her in return. Then Akashi walked up to them, extending his arm out to Kuroko.

"This is a victory for you... No, for all of you. Congratulations." Imogen blinked a few times, waiting for something else. "And prepare yourselves... Next time, we are the ones who will win," he added and Imogen snickered, stepping forward.

She waited until after the two shook hands to jump him, pulling his head into the crookof her elbow, her free hand digging into the top of his head.

"You bastard, you've been gone far too long," she growled out, the two teams watching as the captain took the reprimanding and "abuse" from the small girl.

"Imogen-san, please release me," Akashi requested, trying to pull his head from her arm. Imogen huffed and slowly released him.

"Thanks for playing, Sei-chan. I'm afraid that I came out on top this time!" She said, striking a pose, flexing her biceps. Akashi sighed in exasperation, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

"I suppose so," He admitted, causing her to tense.

"You really are my Sei-chan!" Imogen exclaimed in a thrilled shout, reaching out and pulling him into a tight- very tight- hug.

"I hate you so much, but I'm so glad you're back," she mumbled, seemingly falling into him.

He hummed in confusion, holding up her weight. "Imogen-san?"

The girl in his arms pushed against him until she was up on her feet- well her left foot anyways- as she was holding her right leg up, tears brimming in her eyes. Akashi's eyes widened and his gazed flickered down to her leg.

"Sorry, the adrenaline is completely gone now, and this hurts like hell," she explained, forcing a pained smile.

Akashi solemnly nodded and shifted her so she was standing straight.

"I assume this is what you're leaving to America for?" Akashi questioned, in which she replied with a nod.

"Unfortunately, yes. My aunt and I are set to leave tomorrow morning. I wanted to play one more time before I left," she explained, shrugging her shoulders.

The referee called for them to line up, so Akashi handed Imogen off to Kuroko, the two teams lining up and bowing, saying their thanks.

The three teams that had placed, lined up and Imogen was ecstatic to see that Shutoku took third.

* * *

 _ **Hello! I am on a roll with chapters! Anyways, I'm going to set up a poll to see which character you want her to end up with! There's way more chapters to go, but I want to start incorporating the romance stuff and such soon, so I need an idea of who. You can even suggest characters outside of the Gen! if you want to :D xxx**_


	16. Chapter 16

Everyone headed home afterwards, the excitement of the night leaving everyone exhausted. Kagami had been given the task of carrying Imogen around, enduring her constant complaining about how her leg hurt. He couldn't really bring himself to care; he was still too happy that they had won, plus he was- admittedly- enjoying the close proximity between them.

"Taiga, Taiga, Taiga-san! You played so well tonight! Ah, I've never been so proud of a first year," she muttered, resting her chin on his shoulder, her arms draped loosely around his neck.

"Tch... You did good too," he mumbled, his face reddening at her praise.

"Psh, are you embarrassed, Kagami Taiga?" Imogen teased, pulling at his cheeks.

Kagami shook his head and sighed, focusing on remembering where he was taking Imogen. He was supposed to be taking her to her aunt's, and she had given him completely blunt directions so now he was basically just winging it based off of given directions.

"Oi...don't ignore me, Taiga. Oh, turn right here! My aunt's place is right around the next corner!" She exclaimed, pointing ahead. She drew back her hand once he made the turn.

Imogen sighed. "I'm sorry you have to carry me around." She mumbled apologetically, resting her chin on his shoulder.

He turned his head slightly to look at her.

"Keh. It's not like I care. You barely weigh anything anyways so it's not that bad," he reassured her, giving her a smile.

Her cheeks heated up and she nodded silently. "If you say so."

They finally reached her aunt's house.

"You can just walk right in, the door is unlocked," she informed him, yawning softly.

Kagami opened the door and walked in, letting it quietly click shut behind them. Imogen sighed at the dim lights in the house.

"Alright, you can put me down, my crutches are in this closet," she said, waiting patiently for the tall redhead to set her down before going into the closet by the door and pulling out her crutches.

"Ah, if you're hungry, I can cook something up while you shower," Imogen offered.

Kagami quirked a brow at her.

"You implying something, Imogen?" He asked with a slight scowl.

Imogen snickered and shook her head.

"No, not at all. I was just suggesting it, but if you want to smell like sweat all night then that's not my problem," she said in a sing-song voice.

The redhead glared at her, though it held no meaning to it. She was tempted to tease him and tell him that if he was staying here without showering then he'd be staying outside.

"Tch. Fine, but don't worry about cooking anything. Just go to sleep, you pain," Kagami said, waving his hand dismissively at her.

She puffed her cheeks out and pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

"My room is right across the hall if you need something," she said, heading into her room.

She leaned her crutches against the wall as she changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before not-so-gracefully flopping onto her bed, sprawling out.

* * *

She had been in a light snooze as the door slowly opened, in walking a damp-haired Kagami. Imogen peeked her eyes open, yawning quietly before sitting up.

"Oi,what took you so long? Did you fall in the shower or something?" She asked teasingly, chucking a pillow at him.

He caught it, sending her a glare in return. "Tch. No, I was washing up so that I didn't smell like sweat!" He argued, scowling at her.

Imogen hummed before nodding. "Touche. You smell much better, I will admit," she teased, catching the pillow as the redhead tossed it back.

Imogen reached over to the table beside her bed and set her alarm, heaving a quiet sigh. Kagami draped the towel over the back of a desk chair in the corner of the room before sitting beside the girl.

"You alright?" He asked, running a hand through his messy hair.

Imogen sat up and shrugged.

"I could be better. It's going to suck being away, especially since I just got back a couple of months ago, but I guess it'll be worth it when I come back," she explained, leaning against the tall male.

She was nervous, to say the least. The next morning, she would be on a flight to America. She'd be away from her friends for months and she dreaded it immensely. Kagami nodded his head, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"You'll visit, right? Or at least talk? I know little Taiga would miss me too much," she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

Kagami rolled his eyes, nudging her back. "I could probably figure something out," he assured her.

Imogen smiled and quietly thanked him.

"Well, since you don't smell terrible anymore, I suppose I won't make you sleep outside..." She trailed off, sending him a small smirk.

He sent her a glare, though it was meaningless.

"Thanks, Imogen," he drawled out sarcastically. Imogen grinned and nodded.

Grabbing her pillow, she laid back, tucking the pillow and her arms behind her head.

"It's sooo late..." Imogen whined, running her hand over her face.

"I'll just sleep on the flight..." She huffed, stretching her arms out.

She picked herself up off of the bed and walked- more so limped- her way to the bathroom.

"I'm going to shower, I'll be back in a few." Then she disappeared, the door shutting behind her.

She spent about ten to fifteen minutes in the shower before she actually decided to get out and dry off, throwing on clean clothes before returning to her bedroom.

"Hey, Tai-" She paused, noticing that the male was already fast asleep on her bed, more than likely exhausted from the Winter Cup's final game. She smiled slightly, quietly opening her closet door and grabbing a pillow and blanket so she could sleep on the couch.

Imogen had been half way to the bedroom door before her own name reached her ears.

"Hn...where are you going..?" He asked sleepily, his head lifted slightly off of the pillow he had been snoozing on.

She smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "I was just going to sleep on the sofa," she responded in a mere whisper.

Kagami shook his head and lazily slid from the bed, wandering over to her and grabbing her wrist, pulling her back.

"I can't kick you out of your own bed." As right as he was, she didn't mind. She also didn't mind sharing, and that seemed to be what the redhead had in mind as he settled back down, carefully tugging Imogen down beside him. She let out an airy laugh, resting her head against a pillow.

"Goodnight, Taiga."

"Night..." He mumbled out his response, clearly dozing off a few seconds later.

Waking up to a blaring alarm was absolutely horrible. Waking up to an attractive male was quite comforting. However, considering what day it was, she couldn't be pleased with that fact for too long.

Imogen sighed quietly, slowly sitting up and stretching. She slipped from her bed and wandered over to her closet, quickly changing into some sweatpants and a hoodie. She grabbed her crutch and exited her room, heading into the kitchen where her aunt was making breakfast.

"Morning, darling. Are you all set to go? We were able to find you a single apartment for the next couple months, so you should be good. Are you packed?" She asked.

Imogen nodded her head in response, taking a seat at the island-counter.

"Thank you, I appreciate all of this. I'll be back in no time!" She assured her, smiling slightly despite how tired she was.

"Good, good, I already miss you. Now...where's your friend? Kagami-san?" She asked curiously.

"Sleeping. I'll wake him up before it's time to leave for the airport. We can give him a ride home on the way there anyways," Imogen explained, shrugging her shoulders.

"Of course," her aunt replied with a smile, "well, breakfast is done, so why don't you go wake your friend up. We'll be heading out right after." With that, Imogen stood up and made her way back to the bedroom.

She snatched a pillow off of her bed and quickly tossed it at Kagami's body.

"Oi, breakfast is done. We're leaving after we eat," she said, watching the large male shift around in his spot, however, he didn't get up.

Pouting, Imogen climbed onto the bed and nudged him, elbowing him lightly. "Get up. Up, up, up!" She exclaimed, bouncing slightly.

With a quiet groan, the male reluctantly opened his eyes and slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Alright...I'm up." Clearly satisfied, Imogen got up and headed back out into the kitchen. Kagami was soon to follow suit.

"Good timing. Now hurry up and eat before I miss my flight."

Upon walking into the airport, Imogen's nerves suddenly surfaced. She bit her lip, glancing around a bit before getting her ticket checked and appointed to her flight gate. Apparently, her nerves were quite noticeable.

"Are you alright, Imogen?"

No response. The girl's gaze was locked firmly on the space before her. He repeated her name a few more times before she finally snapped out of it.

"Huh? Did you say something?" She asked quietly.

Kagami sighed, falling into step with her, while her aunt followed behind them with a small smile. "I asked if you were alright, idiot..."

Imogen smiled and nodded, opening her mouth to speak, "I'm okay. It's just a bit sad that I'll be away for a while. Now I don't get to pick on you and Tetsuya."

The response wasn't what he had expected, but he grinned nonetheless.

"I'm sure you'll find someone to pick on in the meantime. Just don't be too rough on 'em," Kagami teased, nudging her lightly.

"Besides, I'm sure you'll have fu-" He was abruptly cut off; a familiar voice calling out Imogen's name. The variety of colorful heads of hair were an easy indication of who was all there.

"Hey! What are you all doing here?"

Imogen immensely perked up at the sight of her other friends, a smile pulling at her lips. She pulled Kagami over to them, despite the male's slight annoyance. Kuroko, Aomine, Momoi, Midorima and Kise stood there.

Kise was the first to speak, "we wanted to see you off, Imocchi~! Plus, Midocchi was pretty set on coming here when I ran into him, and then we just kind of found these guys here too!"

Naturally, he usually annoyed her to an unimaginable extent, but she couldn't help, but feel happy that even he was here.

"Ah, you guys didn't have to, you know? It's not like I'm gone forever," she pointed out.

Aomine snickered, stepping up to her and draping an arm over her shoulders. "I wasn't about to let you leave without saying goodbye anyways, stupid. Plus, Tetsu said Kagami was with you and I couldn't let him have you all to himself."

Imogen rolled her eyes, swatting Aomine in the chest. "Let me go so I can hug all of you before I go. I've got about five minutes until boarding so..." She wrapped her arms around him, smiling contentedly.

"Behave for Satsuki-san, okay?" She muttered before pulling away, patting his chest lightly before moving on to Kise.

She was rather hesitant to go near him, but clearly he didn't pay much mind to it as he immediately wrapped his arms around her.

"Bye, Imocchi! Let us all know how everything goes!" He exclaimed, kissing the top of her head, much to her surprise.

"Stupid, get off of me," she huffed in embarrassment, pushing him away with a fond smile.

Kise pouted as she made her way over to Momoi. She wrapped her arms around her, sighing softly.

"I wish you the best of luck with Ahomine," she said with a teasing smile.

Momoi rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Mm...thanks. Have fun in America, let me know what it's like, okay?"

Imogen nodded her head. "Absolutely, I'll bring you back some gifts," she assured them.

Stepping back, Imogen glanced at the last three she had yet to talk to.

She walked up to Midorima and opened her arms for a hug, while the male stared at her for a few seconds until he was nudged into her by Kuroko, who stood beside him. Imogen smiled and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'll miss you..." She mumbled softly.

"Oi! You won't miss us though?" Aomine asked with a light-hearted glare.

Imogen snorted, shaking her head. "I'll miss all of you, don't be ridiculous. You all have to video-chat me every once in a while, okay?"

She requested it with a smile, slowly pulling back from Midorima. She was even more reluctant to say goodbye to Kuroko, but she sucked it up and hugged him, uttering a soft goodbye, along with a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Let Seijuro and Atsushi know I said goodbye, okay?"

Kuroko nodded, a light smile on his face as he released her. Now, all she had left was Kagami. She turned to him and smiled wide.

"I swear, if you slack off- any of you- I will kick your asses when I get back," she said sternly, glancing at each and every one of them.

She then hugged Kagami, sighing quietly. It was then announced that her flight was taking passengers now.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys in a couple of months. Bye, oba-san!" She said, planting a kiss on her aunt's cheek before grabbing her carrying-on and bringing them onto the plane.

She found her seat and put the bag she had with her into the upper compartment before taking a seat.

Already, she wanted to stay home, but her opportunity to back out had ended the moment the doors were closed. She sighed quietly and slunk back in her seat, closing her eyes.

"Too late to back out now."

* * *

 _ **Hello again! I hope you are enjoying this story so far! I created a poll that will decide who she ends up with or gets more interaction with throughout the story! So go ahead and vote for your top two choices! It can be literally anyone! Feedback is also helpful! xxx**_


	17. Chapter 17

_Oh, how she wished she could have backed out._

She had finally managed to unpack everything and even get a few sessions in with her new doctor. They had scheduled the surgery two and a half months from the appointment, and then she'd go to rehabilitation sessions to help build strength up in her knee again. After the fifth month, she'd be able to return home. Now, all she had to do was go to her sessions and avoid injuring herself. She would occasionally go on walks around the block of her apartment, familiarizing herself with her surroundings.

She'd only been there for about a week and she already hated it. Her neighbors were loud and unforgiving at one in the morning. It was around eleven on a Saturday night and her neighbors were either partying or having sex- she couldn't tell. Her laptop dinged and she took a seat on her bed, pulling up the tab for video-chat. Humming, she plugged her headphones in and hit answer. Two familiar faces lit up on the screen.

"Tetsu! Taiga!" She exclaimed with a wide smile before quieting down.

"Ah, I miss you guys so much seriously," she whined. Kuroko nodded, while Kagami snickered.

"Oi, did she answer yet, Bakagami?"

"Don't call me that, Ahomine!" The redhead retorted, turning his head to someone- Aomine- stood off screen.

"Hello, Daiki, are you causing trouble?" She asked, quirking a brow. The familiar dark-haired male popped into frame and grinned.

"Not at all." Was his response, taking a seat on the sofa that sat behind Kuroko and Kagami.

"Mhm...sure. You look like you're at Kagami's." She pointed out.

Aomine nodded. "We are. Murasakibara and- surprisingly- Akashi said that they didn't get a chance to say goodbye, so Tetsu suggested we all call you," he explained with a shrug.

Imogen hummed and smiled. "Sei-chan's coming too? That's surprising. What'd you bribe him with to come on here with us?" She asked jokingly.

"I am here by my own will, Imogen-san." Akashi spoke up as he was accepted into the call.

"Ah, there's little Sei-chan! And drop the 'san'. I beg of you," she said, waving at him, and Murasakibara as he and Tatsuya joined the call, the larger male snacking away again.

"Well, this is nice. I'm glad we can all talk. It sucks here. The place is nice, but my living arrangements are actually horrible. My neighbors are...ahem...quite active." She coughed into her hand, looking away in embarrassment.

"But it's only for a few months, so...I'll live. I'm out most of the time anyways though so I guess I can't complain too much."

"It's only temporary. Don't dwell on it too much and time will go by much faster," Akashi advised, resting his head against his hands in quite a sophisticated manner. Imogen couldn't help, but snicker.

"You know, for once you don't look like you're about to go to a dinner party for the wealthy. It's kind of nice. Have you finally let loose, Sei? Has Aomine's and Murasakibara's laziness worn off on you?" She teased, earning a small frown from the three.

Imogen held her hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. I was kidding. Murasakibara is the finess of prime and proper," she joked with a playful wink, smiling at them.

"But honestly, I'm just really happy to see you guys. It's going to be a long five months, but hey...I have one thing to look forward to...and that's playing basketball with you all again."

"I want to be able to play all together, you know? I love playing in official games, but why not have it be just us? No crowds are intimidating pressure; just fun?" She suggested, moving to lay down on her stomach, resting her head on a pillow and looking into the screen.

"That sounds great as long as you're on my team," Aomine stated bluntly, tucking his arms behind his head as he leaned back against the sofa.

"It would be best to have Imogen-san on my team," Akashi intervened.

"Tch. As if! She's going to be on my team." Oh, Kagami.

"If Imo-chin is going to be on any team, Imo-chin should be on mine and Muro-chin's team," Murasakibara drawled lazily, munching away at some Maibou he had present.

Imogen giggled softly. "Don't I get a say in who's team I want to be on? Maybe I want to be on Kise or Shintarou's team," she pointed out with a grin.

"You and Kise on the same team? Would that even be possible?" Aomine asked skeptically, "you would be at his throat the entire time."

Imogen rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at them. "I was making a point."

"Oh, hey! I just remembered that I sent some little gifts over for all of you. It's only candy and some little trinkets, but I thought they were pretty cool. Besides, I knew that Murasakibara would probably like someof the stuff here, so just know that if a package shows up, it's from me!"

"The gesture is kind, however, shouldn't we be the ones treating you, Imogen-san?" Akashi spoke up with a light chuckle, one that caused Imogen to double-take. Was that really him or was she imagining things?

"I don't want to be treated to anything though so it's really okay. Just being able to call and talk to you guys is plenty for me," she assured them, covering her mouth and turning her head away to mask a soft yawn.

"Sorry. I've been walking around every day so I'm a bit tired from it," she explained quietly, resting her arms under her chin, supporting her head.

She closed her eyes and relaxed, listening as small chatter pursued between the others. Their voices were comforting to listen to, and surprisingly soothing, even when they were arguing over something ridiculous. Had it always been like that? Imogen remembered as a kid that she liked hearing them talk, but that was usually because she was too quiet to do so herself. They were her voice at the time and it had been something she had grown used to as she gradually broke from her shell. Maybe it was something her subconscious had simply taken to and stored away as a reminder that they had been her source of comfort as a kid.

* * *

 _"It looks like it's about to rain, I guess we gotta stop early and go home?" A young boy, around Imogen's age, said, stopping in the center of the cement basketball court, ball in hand as he looked on to the group of kids he was with._

 _"We can totally continue tomorrow, right, miss?" He asked, offering a smile her way. They didn't know each other. They were just a few kids who had met at the court at the exact same time and decided that there was no harm in playing a game, even if one of the players was a girl. They were kind, yet they were complete strangers._

 _"If you'd like, one of us could walk you home or you could wait at one of our houses for a ride?" The offer was sweet, but at the same time, they didn't know her parents. Strict and unforgiving. If she were to walk to a strangers house or go home with a stranger by her side, even as a middle school kid, the worst would be assumed._

 _"I-I...I'm waiting," she responded quietly, taking a seat on the bench by the court. The boys stared at her strangely before shrugging it off and making a break for it down the sidewalk to get home. But she still sat there. Her mother would be on her way in about half an hour or so, the scheduled time they had made before she left, but her mother was always late so she knew better than to just assume._

 _Imogen sighed softly, grabbing her sweatshirt and pulling it on, making sure that she had drawn the hood up to give some coverage to the rain that began to fall. It was quick to soak through the top and leave her head feeling damp, proving that the piece of fabric was useless against such weather._

 _Faintly, she could hear familiar laughter and the sound of someone talking. The sounds that immediately brought calmness to her. Having not seen who it was just yet, she could make a vague assumption on who it was._

 _"Hey, is that-"_

 _"Imogen!" Footsteps came in her direction and as the voices drew closer; she knew. Imogen looked up and her face lightened._

 _"What are you doing out in the rain Imocchi?"_

 _"We had today off of practice so shouldn't you be home, Imo-chin?"_

 _Imogen smiled faintly and shook her head. "I wanted to play more basketball, but I... I didn't want to bother any of you so I came here by myself right after school. My mother said she would come and get me, but..I don't think that will be until later so I just have to wait," she explained, shrugging her shoulders._

 _The bench, on either side of her, quickly became overly-occupied while. "We'll wait with you then. We all happened to run into each other and we were about to go to the store to pick up some snacks since Murasakibara insisted," Akashi told her, seated on her right._

 _"Yeah, because of his large ass stomach, we're all going to get wet, but whatever." Oh, Aomine... The bickering continued back and forth, the others eventually getting involved too, but so long as they were all together, she found that she really didn't mind. She closed her eyes and smiled, listening to their voices._

 _How soothing._

* * *

"Is...is she asleep?"

"I think so... Well, if she's going to sleep then I'm going to get more snacks. Bye Akachin, Kurokochin, others...and Imochin," Murasakibara muttered, giving Tatsuya hardly a second to say his goodbyes before they disappeared from the call.

"Ah, I have to be going soon anyhow. It was good to speak to you all." Akashi was the next to leave the call, leaving Kagami, Kuroko and Aomine to end the final call, saying their quiet goodbyes to Imogen.

Despite not hearing what it was being said by them, a smile plastered itself on her face as she slept, the voices simply sticking with her.

She was so thankful to have them.

Calls like that continued for a few days a week, varying from who joined them, and to how long they lasted. Occasionally she'd see Kise on there, or even Midorima and Takao for that matter. Akashi dropped by whenever he didn't have practice or his father wasn't reprimanding him for something. It was nice, especially after long days of 'taking it easy' or going to appointments.

The days went by quickly leading up to her surgery, and the quicker they went, the more nervous she became. It was a make or break moment for her after all. She called up her aunt and uncle and let them know beforehand, before sending out a group text to the others. They would all be asleep at that point, but she couldn't bring herself to wait until after.

She rode with her physical therapist, Cameron, to the doctor's appointment, more as a source of keeping Imogen calm. It was clear to everyone once she had arrive to the hospital that she was nervous, her fingers tapping restlessly against her knee, while her teeth gnawed at her lower lip as they waited.

Before she knew it, a nurse was in front of her.

"Ready to go, miss?" She asked in a tone that was almost too sweet to be comforting, despite that being the lady's intentions.

Imogen nodded her head and carefully stood up.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," she responded with a light, nervous chuckle. She checked her phone one last time, finding nothing on the lockscreen before tucking it into her bag and leaving it with Cameron.

'At least at the end of it, I'll be able to start fresh and then head home!' She thought enthusiastically, a determined grin settling on her face.

 _Here goes nothing._

* * *

 ** _Hello! I'm back! I've been super busy and lazy, but I'm here! I put a poll up to choose who she could end up with so go check that out and vote!_**

 ** _xx_**


	18. Chapter 18

_Pain. Pain. More pain_. **_Excruciating pain_**. That was how Imogen had felt for the next few weeks, constant aches and pains as well as the inability to move around freely on her own. She had been put on bed rest, and her physical therapist had been assigned the task of checking in on her and reporting anything that was different to her doctor. Luckily, things had been going smoothly- or at least as smooth as it could go when she could merely stumble about trying to get to things that she wanted.

Once she was well enough to walk around, she began going to physical therapy to strengthen her knee up again. This was quite the process, and often resulted in a grumpy Imogen at the end of the session. All she wanted was to go home and see everyone again, to sleep in her own bed and talk to everyone in person rather than over the phone or video chat as she had been. Even then, the video chats had lessened day by day due to everyone becoming even more busy than the day before. She understood though. Basketball practices were starting up again and getting more and more intense, she assumed. Even so, everyone tried to find time to send her a quick text or give her a call, which she greatly appreciated.

With a little over two months left in the glorious country, Imogen was finally given the okay to start going out on her own. Recovery was going surprisingly well, and it looked like her knee was actually in very good shape, as said by both her doctor and Cameron. After three months of recovery time, she would be all set to go back home after the next two months, assuming that everything continues to go well and that her knee remains in good condition. Imogen could not be more excited for it. She was also excited about not being caged up in her temporary home as well.

With the permission granted to her, Imogen was out first thing in the afternoon that exact day, happily making her way down to the park she had grown accustomed to walking to before her surgery. She was well aware of the fact that the park had a cement court that people often used, and that was where she was headed first. As she approached, she realized that there were a few people there, four boys that looked to be around her age. Imogen walked over to the fenced in court and stepped in past the gates, making her presence known.

"Hey, what are you doing?" One of the boy's asked, putting a halt to there game for a moment. Imogen simply smiled and walked up to them.

"Mind if I join in for a bit?" She asked, resting her hands on her hips.

The boys shared a glance at each other before looking back to her and nodding. "Sure, I guess. The teams will be uneven though. You can be with Sal. He's the one with the hat on, and the best of us so it's only fair."

Her gaze turned to find a tall, pale male with blond hair and a red baseball cap turned backwards. She nodded her head and approached the male, offering him a small smile. "Imogen, nice to meet you."

"Sal, same here. Are you any good?" He asked with an uncertain smile of his own, as if he wasn't too sure if he had asked the question without sounding offensive.

Imogen waved a hand to assure him that she wasn't offended whatsoever and hummed. "You could say that, I suppose. I guess we'll find out, huh?" She responded, tying her hair back.

"Any rules?" Imogen asked, looking over to the other three. The one she had spoken to earlier stepped forward and nodded.

"First to ten gets the win, no foul shots; strictly plays. That's about it..." He explained subtly.

She nodded, taking it in. "Sounds good to me. Don't take it too easy on me," she said with a soft laugh, following Sal to their side of the court.

She watched as the opposing 'team' put the ball into play, immediately moving around them to advance towards the hoop. She watched their steps calculatingly before turning and moving after them. She took it rather easy as she played, knowing that if she were to push herself, she would probably end up hurting herself again, and then she'd truly be getting an earful from Cameron and Hitome.

Imogen smiled as she blocked a pass, stealing the ball back and making her way over to the opposite end. She looked around before pivoting to her right and passing the ball to Sal, who scored the third point of their game. Clearly, their opponents weren't too pleased with the revelation they had just witnessed. "So you /can/ play," Sal pointed out with a chuckle, patting her back lightly.

"Hm? I never said I couldn't." Point taken, Sal turned back to the others, passing the ball over to them so that they could put it into play.

The game continued, both sides scoring back and forth until one came to a total of ten points.

Imogen wiped the sweat from her forehead, looking up to her teammate with a wide smile.

"Damn, I really thought they would have had us there. It was close, but nice playin'," he praised, grinning with clear triumph.

She laughed and nodded her head, letting her hands settle on her hips again as they approached the other three.

"That was a good game. Most fun I've had since I've been here," Imogen said.

It was true too. She hadn't been able to do anything other than walk around before her surgery and for quite some time after. She had genuinely missed playing, and although it wasn't that same as competing with her true teammates, it definitely did not hurt to play a fun and easy game with some new people.

"Huh? You're not from here? I guess with that accent, it's easy to tell, but you speak English really well so it's not immediately noticeable," Sal pointed out thoughtfully.

"Nah, I'm from Japan actually, but I was here a while ago for a basketball tournament with a championship high school team. Studying abroad, I guess you could call it," she explained, shrugging her shoulders.

"Wait, wait, wait, you played in a tournament? With a champion team?" Todd, a male with dark hair and tanned skin, spoke up, clearly confused, "What are you doing back here now, then?"

Imogen hummed. "Yeah, that's what I said, wasn't it? And I came back here three months ago for surgery and physical therapy, so once that's done with, I'll be able to go back home."

And boy did she want to go back home. As much as she liked it here, she preferred being back home with everyone else. She had been missing classes, although someone, more times than not, Aida, would send her the lessons and notes, and homework, so that she could complete it and have it ready for when she came back. Even so, she actually missed being in class with familiar people.

"Surgery? And you're out here playing basketball with us? Are you crazy?" Matthias, yet another dark haired and tanned male-probably Todd's brother- addressed her, staring at her as if she truly were insane.

"Well, the surgery was a couple months ago, and I've recovered enough to do these things so long as I don't go all out, so don't worry about it," she assured him, waving a hand dismissively. "Besides, if I had told you in the beginning, there is no way you guys would have let me play with you so I just figured there was no reason to bring it up. Not to mention, I did not want you going easy on me. The guys back home don't, so I didn't want any of you to do it either."

They stared at her incredulously before shrugging their shoulders.

"Well, it's pretty cool to see a chick who is actually interested in the sport and playing it, rather than sitting aside and gawking at the players," Matt said, laughing dryly.

She couldn't blame him. It must get annoying to have girls drooling over you while playing a game.

"Yeah, I mean, I do it to my friends, but it's all in good fun. If it doesn't interrupt their playing or the game then there's no harm to it. You should be flattered," Imogen teased, catching the ball as Matthias suddenly tossed it at her, out of playfulness.

"So are you all on a basketball team?" Imogen asked, walking over to the bench and taking a seat.

"Matt and Todd are. Sal and I play baseball instead, although Sal could easily make the basketball team at our school," Aaron finally spoke out, having been quiet the entire time.

Unlike the other's, he was on the shorter side and sported light brown hair. His height kind of reminded her of Kuroko.

"Really? You play baseball? That's pretty cool. I always thought it looked fun, but never tried it. Maybe you can show me sometime before I leave?"

Sal nodded rather eagerly. "Of course! I'll give you my number and we can figure something out."

After that, they exchanged numbers and eventually went their separate ways. Imogen made her way back to her apartment and retreated into the bedroom, pulling out her phone and shooting Kuroko a quick text. She had been talking the most with Kuroko, mostly because it was a habit to go to him first before anyone else. She informed him of her game and the people she had met, as well as how the morning session at therapy had gone. Imogen also let him know that she had been given the okay to go him in two months if her last check up went well. She was beyond excited.

Absolutely thrilled!

* * *

Imogen spent the last two months as in physical therapy and at the basketball park or baseball field with the boys, also meeting others from their respective , today was one of those days where she really wasn't up to going anywhere or doing anything, but after roughly five calls from her doctor, and another six from Cameron, she had no choice. She forced herself up and out of bed, throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie before leaving the apartment and grumpily walking the ten-minute walk to the gym, where she and Cameron went now that she was able to handle the somewhat strenuous work.

"Where have you been, Imogen?" Cameron asked with an impatient frown adorning her features.

"Sleeping."

It was clear to tell that Imogen was rather grumpy, the reasons for it being that she hadn't slept well and she was feeling particularly homesick that morning. She just wanted to go home, and as that date grew closer, the more impatient she became. In her eyes, that date wasn't coming fast enough.

"I understand that you're missing home, but think about it this way, the more you focus on this, the faster time will go by and the closer you'll be to going home. It's only a week more, Imogen, please stick with me here," Cameron said enthusiastically, trying to perk the teen up a bit more. Imogen's irate features softened the slightest bit and she slowly nodded her head.

"Fine," she agreed softly, stretching out a bit before taking a seat, following through the daily routine.

 _Inspection of the knee, work out, inspection, work out, up until their time was up._

It went by fairly quick, as usual, but as soon as Imogen left, she quickly returned to her homesick-sleep deprived mood.

Lately, she had been spending more time with the boys she had met with the park, and that was just enough to lighten her mood. They were genuinely nice people, and it was really nice to see how well their teams worked together too. It made her miss her team even more. A couple more days and she would be on the first flight back home. Yet, before that could even happen, Todd and Sal had invited her, along with Matt and Aaron, out for the night before she had to pack up and leave. Of course, it began with a short, but thrilling game of basketball. The teams were evenly divided this time, Matt's girlfriend, Emilia, having joined them for the night. It was truly a perfect distraction for her, and time seemed to go by even faster the longer she spent time with them.

After their game, they went out to eat, the boys pigging out, much like Murasakibara did with his sweets. With their time spent together over the past two months, the boys had quickly learned who the Generation of Miracles were and each of their names, considering Imogen talked so much about all of them. They were almost surprised with how she managed to keep up with them, given the stories that she's told about them.

 _Perhaps they just haven't seen her at her absolute best._

* * *

 ** _Hello again! Sorry, it's been taking so long for me to update. I don't have any of the upcoming chapters pre-written so it takes some time! Anyway, once Imogen returns home, the flirting and romance shall begin! But with who? Vote on my poll or leave a review telling me who you think she should be with! Feedback on the story is also always welcome, and thank you to those who have stuck with me thus far! Until next time! xx_**


	19. Chapter 19

Imogen crossed an _'x'_ through the final box of her calendar that marked the days until she could go home. Her last few days had been uneventful, consisting of packing up her things and hauling them all down to her transportation to the airport. As she grabbed the keys to her apartment and locked the doors, her neighbors stepped outside of their room to bid her a farewell. Her neighbors, as in the ones who were always partying or doing the dirty. _Hint, hint._

"Leaving already? It was great having you as our neighbor, you were always so quiet!" The woman said, her smile wide and smug. The man standing beside her holding the same expression.

"Yes, well...I wish I could say the same," Imogen muttered under her breath, putting on a wide smile. "Bye, have a nice day. I'm putting the keys to the apartment in my mailbox, let the landlord know that it's there when she drops by later."

Before they could hold her back by saying anything else, she booked it down the hall and out the front door, her final bag in tow. Cameron waited out by the car, helping put everything into the trunk. "Did you get everything?" Cameron asked, looking back at her curiously.

Imogen nodded, holding up the last bag before throwing it into the back. "Yup, can we go now? The sooner we get there, the sooner I can go home," she ushered her into the car, an eager smile plastering itself to her face. She honestly could not wait to be home. To be able to sleep in her own bed, eat her aunt's cooking, and most of all, see everyone again. Five months was a long time to be away from home, and now that the day to go back was finally here, she was just bubbling with genuine excitement.

"Alright, alright, we can go now," she assured her, getting into the driver's seat of the car, meanwhile Imogen climbed into the passenger side.

Going home. That's all she could think. Sure, she loved it in America, the place was a nice travel spot, but she wouldn't choose to live there permanently. Maybe had she grown up there things would be different, but she didn't grow up there, so she didn't consider it her home.

"Imogen, can you sit still? It's distracting," Cameron chimed in, gesturing to the young girl's bouncing leg. Imogen shot her a small glare before forcing her leg to stay still. It wasn't like she could help it, she was anxious and she was excited. _Very, very, very excited_.

* * *

As excited as she was to be home, she was also _very, very tired_. She had texted her aunt that she would be at the airport an hour ahead, and by the time she got there, her aunt was there, ready and waiting.

She cleared the airport security and retrieved all of her bags, greeting her aunt with a wide smile and a tight hug. Despite having kept contact almost every single day, it just was not the same as seeing each other in person. "I'm so glad you're home and doing well."

Imogen nodded in agreement as she pulled away. "I am too. It feels so good to be back home. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed tonight, I'm exhausted. It felt like the longest five months of my life... I've probably missed so much," she mumbled, heaving a soft sigh.

Her aunt giggled and grabbed a few of her bags. "Well, if you kept up with your school work then you should be alright, and I'm certain you'll pick right back up in practices."

Imogen hadn't even been thinking about practicing- she was thinking about her friends, not practice- but the mention of it caused her to brighten up almost immediately. She was completely recovered, and her doctor had cleared her for sports. That meant that she could get back to the grind of practices and games. Satisfied with this revelation, Imogen walked with her aunt to the car and climbed in, laying down in the back seat and almost instantly falling asleep.

* * *

"Imogen, dear, we're here." _No, she didn't want to get up..._ "Imogen, time to get up." _Nope. Not getting up._ She could hear a soft sigh and for a moment, Imogen thought she'd be left alone. It wasn't until the sudden sound of the car honking repeatedly breached her ears that she jumped up and covered them, sending a glare at her aunt for her stunt.

"We're at the apartment."

 _Apartment? ...Apartment!_ Imogen was quick to get out of the car and grab as many bags as she could, decking it towards the front door to her apartment. The lights were on, but she paid no mind to it, simply assuming that her aunt had been there before picking her up. The door was unlocked, much to her temporary concern, and she pushed the door open, lugging everything inside and into her living room, where a familiar pink-haired girl sat on her sofa, a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other.

Imogen set her bags down and approached her slowly before her lips quirked into a smile. "Satsuki!" The girl looked up and beamed, jumping from the couch and lunging at her. Before Imogen could even brace herself, Momoi had her arms locked around her in an almost unbearably tight hug. Imogen embraced the girl in return, listening to her gush about how glad she was finally back. It was approximately five minutes later when Momoi had finally calmed down enough to let her go.

"How did you get into my apartment?" Imogen suddenly asked, glancing back at her aunt who had just walked in with the remainder of her bags. Her aunt shrugged her shoulders. "Don't look at me. I haven't been here."

"So then...does that mean..." She paused in the middle of her sentence the second a pair of arms draped themselves around her neck from behind, a head coming to rest on top of her's. "It's about damn time you came back."

Imogen didn't even hesitate to turn around and wrap her arms around him. "I can't believe you broke into my apartment again. How did you know I was coming home today? I didn't tell anyone," she muttered, her voice coming out a bit muffled due to her face being pressed into his chest. Aomine's, that is.

"Your aunt let us know that you'd be coming home today or tomorrow. Aomine insisted that he stay here until you show up, but I didn't want to leave him in case he messed your place up," Momoi explained.

"How long have you been here for?"

"We got here about an hour ago. Daiki has been sleeping in your room since then so if it's a mess, I apologize," she responded, smiling at her despite the glare Aomine was sending her way.

Imogen finally pulled away, although she stuck close to the tall male's side, she didn't think he was ready to release her yet, given that his arm was still lazily draped over her shoulders. She could not say that she minded all that much, it was comfortable and she was just glad to be home.

"I see. Well, it'll be a mess anyway so I don't suppose it matters that much. It's really nice to see you guys, I feel like I've been gone forever." Imogen heaved a sigh and leaned into Aomine's side. "How long are you staying for? Not that I'm trying to push you out or anything, I'm just tired so I'll probably head off to bed soon, not to mention that you two must be tired as well, considering how late it is," she pointed out, a quiet yawn emitting from her only moments later.

"Ah, I think I'm going to head home now, Daiki-san, are you coming?" Momoi asked, although there was a knowing smile on her face.

"Oh, if you'd like, I can give you a ride home, Momoi-san," Imogen's aunt chimed in, her figure standing by the door. Momoi perked up and nodded, thanking her gratefully before turning to Imogen and giving her one more hug.

"I'll see you soon, Imo-chan. Oh, and don't forget to let the others know that you're home too!" She exclaimed as she let go of her, grabbing her sweatshirt and pulling it on.

Imogen nodded her head and waved, saying a quick goodbye to her aunt as well before the two left the apartment, leaving Aomine and Imogen alone.

"I'm going to give the other's a quick call," She informed him, pulling out her phone only to have it plucked out of her hands and tucked away. "Daiki, come on! What are you doing?" She whined, reaching towards his pocket to retrieve her phone.

Aomine was quick to grab her hands and hold them away from him, that familiar smug grin forming. "No. You can talk to them tomorrow."

Clearly not amused with this, she lightly punched him in the gut after prying her hand free from his. "Are you jealous, Aomine Daiki? Haven't you ever been told that it's not nice if you don't share with others? It's only a phone call," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

"I'm not jealous." His tone easily gave it away, along with the subtle hint of annoyance at the teasing. "No? Well, did you at least miss me?"

If that answer hadn't been obvious before, he certainly wasn't going to make it obvious now. Aomine simply huffed and scowled, offering her the smallest glare he could possibly manage. He wouldn't admit it, but it definitely was not hard to tell that he had. She was sure that everyone had, just like she had missed them.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better... I definitely missed you," Imogen admitted, reaching up to playfully pat him on the cheek. "I missed all of you, actually. Even the most annoying of all, _Kise_. And that takes a lot for me to say something like that so...I really mean it when I say that it totally sucked being there without any of you guys."

Aomine stared at her for a minute, his head coming to rest against her's, forehead-to-forehead, before he smirked. "Why are you being so sappy? I get it. You missed me the most."

Imogen groaned and pushed at his chest. "Why do you have to ruin everything?" She pouted, "I thought we were having a moment." With a quiet snicker, she grabbed some of her bags and tugged them into her room.

"You can sleep on the couch, you tease," she called out to him, "oh, and I'll just use your phone that you left in here to call the others! I have to let them know that I missed them too, y'know? But maybe I'll do it through text...under your name."

If that didn't get Aomine fired up, she didn't know what would. Yet, as she expected he quickly made his appearance in the room and searched for the phone, which was tightly grasped in Imogen's hands. She sat comfortably on the bed, her thumbs typing away on _his_ phone. "Imogen, don't you dare!" He growled out, making his way over to her, thus beginning a playful wrestle for the electronic device.

Imogen was clearly no match for someone much bigger than she was, but it was fun to see how annoyed the male got when she threatened to hit send on a text she had made out to Kagami. He eventually managed to hold her down, his knees keeping her arms down at her sides so that she couldn't do anything. "The last thing I want is that bastard Bakagami getting a text from my number. I would never hear the end of it," he grumbled, taking his phone back and slipping it into his pocket.

He didn't move from his spot afterwards, and she didn't try to move from her's either, their gazes locked for merely a few seconds. Their faces were about four inches apart, and time seemed to slow down as the gap suddenly began to close.

 _Holy shit. What is happening?_

* * *

 ** _Hello, hello, welcome to a cliffhanger! So, I checked the poll, which is still open at this time, and Aomine is in the lead, hence this glorious chapter, while Akashi is second, and Midorima is third. There is still a chance for any of them so vote away. I'll keep it up until I finish the next chapter, which will be whenever. Anyway! Thank you so much to those who have reviewed and left lovely feedback! As well as those who have favorited this story! Feedback is always welcome, and highly appreciated, and I hope you're enjoying thus far! xx_**


	20. UPDATE CHAP

_**Alright so I have decided, with the help of a few special people on here, to continue the story! Now, updates will be coming slow due to my laptop being broken- it only works for roughly half an hour before it quits. I will try to post a new chapter this weekend though! I'm also thinking of incorporating the movie, Last Game, into this because it gave me some neat ideas. So I hope you all can forgive me for my absence and please look forward to new chapters!**_

 **xxx~**


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